The Ultimate
by ReachForTheSky
Summary: When Lucy buys a duo of special keys, she has no idea what she's getting Fairy Tail into. Before they know it, Team Natsu, Amu, and Ikuto are on a quest to potentially save the world, and find out a few shocking secrets along the way. Will they succeed, and more importantly...will they survive?
1. Shopping Trips Always End in Chaos

**So, first off thanks for clicking on this story. Some notes:**

**This takes place two years after the conclusion of Shugo Chara. Ikuto returned three months prior to the start of the story. In terms of Fairy Tail, this story starts after the Grand Magic Games, but *spoiler* Ultear is not an old woman.**

**You'll find out why the story is called what it is only later on in the story.**

**I know that in the list of characters in the summary it only says it's about Lucy and Natsu, but it's all of Team Natsu plus Amu and Ikuto. The rest of the Guardians do have roles, but they're minor ones.**

**Suggestions are appreciated, but may not be followed.**

**I DO NOT OWN SHUGO CHARA AND FAIRY TAIL  
**

**And that's it. Enjoy Chapter 1!**

Chapter 1

Lucy's P.O.V

"Here we are! Chrysanthemum Shopping Mall." I announced proudly, grasping my wallet that was, for once, full of money. When we took on a hard job with a huge reward, we expected about half the money to go to damage fees-as usual. But a surprising turn of events led to no destruction and 150,000 Jewel in my wallet.

"FOOD COURT!" Natsu and Happy raced for the circle of restaurants at top speed.

"Those two..." Gray shook his head. "See ya later, I'm going to buy some new underwear-I'm low on..."

A fiery blush coated my cheeks, and Erza's face was so red that she might've started sizzling. A tomato-faced Wendy stammered,

"U-um, Gray-san, if you could d-discuss your men's u-underwear somewhere else..."

Gray walked off, leaving Erza to slap her own forehead in disgust-quickly recoiling, for she was fully armored as usual. Actually, I don't know how she managed not to pass out.

Wendy and Carla left to shop for cute clothing, and Erza found and armor shop. Which was weird, because what kind of shop is devoted to armor?

I guess I'm not one to talk, though. My eyes lit up as I read a gleaming store sign-

** CELESTIA**

**Unique Sliver Keys for all Celestial Spirit Wizards!**

I ran nearly as fast as a Gray short on underwear to reach the door.

* * *

The shop was orderly and tidy, with rack upon rack of silver keys lining the walls. I walked across the velvet carpeting to the Customer Service desk, wondering what kind of new friends I would end up with after this.

"Hi, I'm looking for some powerful Silver keys, can you help me find some?" I asked in my most polite voice.

The man behind the desk scrutinized me. "Here at the Celestia we sell only the finest of keys that are a perfect fit to their Celestial Spirit Wizard owners. We have sold to countless wizards of great mastery, even the great Karen Lilica was satisfied with the quality-"

I dangled my keys in the air. "First off, Karen was a horrible woman who mistreated her spirits. Talk to Leo if you don't believe me. Second, these are my Spirits. Could you help me find some to match my powers?" I stated coldly, incensed by the worshipping of Karen. Enough talk, let's get down to business.

His eyes bugged as he stared at my key ring. "Ten Zodiac keys...five Silver keys...the legendary guild mark on the right hand...that signature blond hair...it couldn't be... FAIRY TAIL'S LUCY HEARTFILIA?!"

I was genuinely surprised. I was used to the frequent "It's the Titania, Erza!" or "The Salamander, Natsu!" But I was just a member of their team, a Celestial Spirit Wizard with an impressive amount of keys.

"Y-yeah, that's me. So about the keys...?"

"Pleased to be at your service!" The man bowed and rushed off with me right behind.

He displayed a set of silver keys. "These are a unique duo of keys that are one-of-a-kind. These powerful Spirits must be helpful to even you."

I inspected the keys. "Wait, what are these?" Gold showed at the top and bottom of every key.

"Oh, yes, Lucy-sama, the cores are gold. That is why they are so unique..."

My eyes narrowed. I had never seen gold-core Silver keys before.

"Cost?" I demanded.

"Only 10,000 Jewel for both, special discount for you, Lucy-sama..."

This was very, very fishy. It was likely this was a fraud, in which case I would expose it.

"I'll take it." I said, handing over 10,000 Jewel.

Natsu's P.O.V

I listened idly as Lucy explained to us about those two fishy keys.

"Fish?!" Happy gasped as his imaginative mind conjured up images of fish Spirits.

"No, Happy, not fish!" Lucy scolded him. "Now, everyone, I'm going to open the first gate!"

Erza, Wendy, Carla, Happy, and I all nodded.

"Open, Gate of the Black Lynx! Ikuto!"

Ding-dong. The usual gate-opening sound echoed through the air. I guess they were real spirits.

In a flash of light, a tall, slim, feline figure came into view. as the light dimmed I made out shaggy midnight blue hair and a pair of cat ears with a tail. Definitely lynx-like.

He jumped, panic etched on every line of his face for a split second. Only a trained fighter could have picked up the quick dart of his eyes across all of us before resuming a normal stance, seemingly unfazed.

"You're the Spirit, Ikuto, correct? I am your new owner, Lucy."

"No, it's not correct. Whatever you people are expecting, that's not me. and no one 'owns' me."

"A new spirit, perhaps?" Lucy mused. "Do you know of the Celestial Spirit world? Anyone called Leo, Taurus, Gemini? A Nicolas, maybe? Or Lyra?"

"Don't know any of them. Now, send me back, would you?" He growled. His face was completely calm, but Erza's eyes narrowed.

"You have nothing to fear."

"I'm not afraid." he stated calmly, watching us closely. "Now, if you can't send me back, I'm leaving." He leapt into the trees and escaped on top of them with agility no human could possess. A lynx, maybe. But not a human.

"Wait!" Lucy cried, lashing her whip. "River of Stars!" the glowing blue and gold whip chased the Spirit-or whatever he was- through the trees.

"Stop!" Erza silenced Lucy and her whip with a slice of her hand. What was wrong with her? We had to catch the spirit guy...

"Erza, what are you doing?!" Gray yelled, and for once I agreed with my rival.

"How would you feel if you were randomly transported into a different world, surrounded by stranger who thought you were a spirit?" Wendy spoke in her quiet voice.

"But he is a sp-"

"No, he's not." Lucy's face darkened. "None of my magical power decreased when I summoned him. Not even a bit."

"Shouldn't we look for him, though?" Carla's ears twitched as she questioned crisply.

"Yes, we should." I noticed that Erza had requipped into normal clothing.

"I'M ALL FIRED UP!" I roared, rushing forward with a fist of fire.

"Stop, Natsu!" Lucy attempted to grab me. "Remember what we said-?"

I only caught the last echoes of her words as I continued ahead. Wouldn't the catboy leave if we didn't hurry?

I spotted him lurking amongst the trees. Figures.

"Oy, Catboy!" I called up to him. "Come down already and tell us who you are!"

"What the-" The guy touched back down onto the ground. "W-why is your fist on fire?" he gasped.

"It's fire magic, haven't you heard of- MMPH GAAH FWAH!" I was silenced by Erza coming down on me, literally. "What-" punch. "do" punch. "you" punch. "think" punch" "you" punch. "are" punch. "DOING?!" punch punch punch.

"Owww..." I muttered, ears still ringing as Erza proceeded with a lecture that I promptly tuned out.

Five minutes later, everyone was gathered around the catboy, who was pressed to a tree like a cornered animal. Which I guess he was.

"Now," Lucy approached him. "do you mind explaining exactly how you ended up here?"

* * *

**Meow. Like it? Don't worry the writing quality will get better later on.**


	2. Ikuto Blows Up in Lucy's Face

**Chapter 2:**

**Last time, Lucy found some mysterious keys at a shop. She bought the set, sure that it was a fraud, but a boy was summoned. He claims not to be a spirit. Is he correct, or lying? How did he get here?**

**Ikuto: Yeah, how did he? I'm really confused here.**

**Amu: ...**

**Ikuto: What?**

**Amu: Clue-less!**

**Ikuto: What the-**

**Amu: *covers Ikuto's mouth* Watch your language, Mr. Kitty Kat.**

**Ikuto: How dare you! You have said the one thing that gets me worked up: Kitty Kat. Now you will feel my wrath!**

**Amu: Exactly how will I feel your wrath?**

**Ikuto: I'm gonna do something embarrassing to you in this chapter.**

**Amu: WHAT?! NoOoOo! *Dragged off computer by Sky***

**Sky: Ikuto, don't be too inappropriate, ok?**

* * *

Amu's P.O.V (a few minutes before Ikuto was summoned)

"Whew, that was a tough bunch of X eggs to purify!" I panted, undoing my transformation and traipsing up the stairs with Ran, Miki, Su, and Dia.

"But were they really that hard? Or are you just getting lazy?" asked Ran with a smirk.

"This is what'll become of you." Miki displayed a pencil sketch of a bunch of X eggs towering over a cowering me.

"That is so not me! I AM the heroine!" I yelled, storming into my room. "I'm tired, and gonna have a shower. Su, can you help the others make dinner? The family's out till late tonight." I sighed and stretched.

"Yep, Amu-chan is losing her edge!" chirped Su as the four Shugo Chara floated downstairs.

I turned around, preparing to undress.

But wait.

One smirking Ikuto was sitting on my bed.

Ugh. Curiosity killed the cat, Ikuto, but you are just plain stupid.

"You IDIOT! Were you just going to sit there and watch me take off my clothes?!"

"I would have coughed, or something. Maybe."

"Maybe? MAYBE! You-are-leaving-now!" I growled ferociously, dragging Ikuto towards the balcony.

"I'm seriously tired, so don't even THINK about coming back tonight!" I bellowed.

"Fine, fine, Though, how are you 'seriously tired' if you can shout like that?" he asked, Chara Changing so that the cat ears and tail appeared.

"Let's go, Yoru. Later, Amu."

"Nya!" mewed Yoru as he flew to Ikuto's side.

All at once, a strange expression shot across his face. Concerned, I looked up. Was he in trouble or something?-Wait. It just had to be another trick of his.

"I'm not falling for it." I grumbled, pouting.

I looked at his face for the signature smirk, but then he gasped, and I thought that I could hear a voice, chanting.

And then Ikuto was gone.

He hadn't left, he had still been standing next to the balcony door, when he just-vanished.

My heart thumped wildly in my chest as I raced out to the balcony. "Ikuto?! IKUTO! Come back here, you aren't-you aren't playing, are you. Yoru, you there? Ikuto, Yoru, where are you?"

"Amu-chan! What's wrong?" Ran soared up to me, heeled by the other three.

"Ikuto-he just disappeared. He was there, but he didn't leave, and he just wasn't there anymore." My voice broke, and I knew I sounded crazy, but my head was spinning and I felt dizzy.

What happened? Ikuto hadn't left of his own accord, I was sure of that. And of course I was worried about him, Ikuto, but just the concept of disappearing was more mind-blowing than the morning I had woken up to have Shugo Chara eggs in my bed.

"A-Amu-chan, are you alright? I cooked dinner...?" Su asked tentatively. I shook my head, and buried my face in my bedsheets.

I curled up on my bed, with my Shugo Chara huddled around me, wondering what the heck I could do.

But then, a clear voice erupted in my mind, and my Shugo Chara must have heard it as well.

"Open, Gate of the Amulet! Amu!"

She called my name, and my body dissipated and crossed the boundary between dimensions. Unearthly feeling crackled through my senses as I lost all solidity.

When I could finally open my eyes, all I could see were fuzzy outlines of strangers, and a strange world. A splitting headache raged to life and I found my legs buckling.

Yells of worry surrounded me and everything went black.

Ikuto's P.O.V

"Amu!" I called, racing forward to catch her trembling figure before she fell. "Amu, wake up!" My arms shook as I picked her up, cradling her unconsious figure in my arms. How had she...?"

"What did you do to her?!" I yelled, turning my grief into rage at these strangers who said they would fix this by calling out Amu.

"Please, I can help!" The girl who was even younger than Amu stepped forward, ocean blue hair twisting in the wind.

"How?"

"I use healing magic."

Reluctantly, I released my hold on Amu and watched breathlessly as the healing mage's hands glowed, sending soft blue light coursing through her body. The mage moved backwards as Amu stirred, and woke.

"Thank goodness." I breathed, heaving a huge sigh of relief.

"Ikuto? But how..." Her voice was barely audible.

"Shhh." I whispered, covering her mouth. "Go back to sleep."

Amu mumbled something and turned on her side in the soft grass.

"What happened?" I addressed the healing mage.

"She was weak, and shock was the final straw." The girl spoke quietly.

"Weak? But..."

_"Whew, that was a tough bunch of X eggs to purify!"_

"X eggs? But she can usually handle them..." I pondered.

"Um, what are X eggs?" The key wizard who summoned me asked.

"Why should I tell you?" I muttered, turning away. At this point, all I wanted to do was take Amu and leave these enchanters to their evil magic junk.

"Look, I know we're the ones who got you into this mess, but we can send you back. Right, Lucy?" The scarlet haired woman, who seemed intuitive enough, questioned the key wizard.

"Yeah, I can."

"Well, then do it! You've caused enough trouble already." I snapped, turning to face her.

"O-okay. But your friend needs to wake up."

"I'm fine." Amu, still slightly pale but much better, sat up.

"Gate of the Black Lynx, Gate of the Amulet, Forced Closure!" She swung the two keys in a lilne, leaving a gold trail.

But nothing happened.

"What...?" Shaking now, the key wizard tried again. "Forced Closure, Forced Closure, FORCED CLOSURE!"

I concentrated on going home, home, home. But nothing happened.

"Why aren't they gone, Lucy? You're forced closure has never failed before." A teenager like me with spiky black hair came over to us, concerned.

"Stay away from us!" I demanded, scuttling backwards.

Lucy sighed. "Look, you have to trust us."

"Trust you? You just turned our lives upside down and now you want us to TRUST YOU?!" I prepared to stand up and leave, breathing hard. But a small, cool hand stopped me.

"Ikuto, wait." Amu was calm, even after all of this. "We don't have anywhere to go, and besides, these people didn't know they were doing something wrong, right?"

"But-" The truth was, after all of my being captured, and controlled, and tortured, I just wasn't a trusting person. And I didn't want Amu, who was five years younger than me, to go through the same pain of broken trust. But Amu made a big-eyed, hopeful face.

"Please? I want a shower."

"Only because you just passed out. once you're okay, we're leaving."

"Okay!" Lucy smiled. "You two can stay at my apartment."

Wait. Key Girl's house?

Oh no.

* * *

**BTW, Ikuto isn't usually so caring, and he's usually much calmer. But it was fun to make him freak out for once.**

**Sky: WAAH these chapters seem so short! Does anyone know if you can just take a profile pic off the internet, or does it need to be yours? **

**Ikuto: I am so embarrased...**

**Amu: Why?**

**Ikuto: I. Picked. You. Up. Oh my god I will never get over this.**

**Amu: Get over it!**

**Ikuto: You're just happy 'cause you get your shower.**

**Amu: Well fine, be that way!**

**Lucy: I feel like those two are going to be a handful.**


	3. Gray and Ikuto: No Love Lost

**Chapter 3**

**Last time, Amu was summoned into the Fairy Tail world. After Amu collapsed Ikuto became even less trusting, only accepting an offer to stay with Lucy after Amu begs with him. They also cannot go back to their own world.**

**Sky: Thanks so much to k0titan for my first review! I really appreciate your compliments. :) Unfortunately, the plan I have for this story doesn't have room for your suggestion. It was a good idea, though.**

**Everyone: ...**

**Sky: Well, this is a gloomy start, anyway. I'd rather write about these characters than be with them.**

**Juvia: Um, Sky-san-**

**Sky: Wait, Juvia?! Since when have you been here?**

**Juvia: Juvia wants to make an appearance in this chapter.**

**Sky: But, Juvia, you aren't supposed to be in this-**

**Juvia: PUT JUVIA IN THE CHAPTER OR ELSE IT WILL RAIN FOREVER IN YOUR WORLD!**

**Sky: Fine, fine! I give! P.S: I don't own SC or FT! If I did, Juvia wouldn't be nagging me right now.**

**Juvia: Hey!**

* * *

Gray's P.O.V

"Hello?" I peeked into Lucy's apartment. It was unnaturally quiet for three people, Lucy was writing at her desk and catboy was sitting in a corner, muscles tensed. Sounds of running water-the girl, probably-filled the empty silence.

"Oh, Gray, you're here! Have Natsu and the rest come?" Lucy rushed forward, obviously glad I was there to break the awkwardness.

"They're going to report the full story of what happened to Master, I just stayed for an overview." I said. Ikuto glanced up briefly before pulling himself even further into the corner.

Finally, he stood. "I'm leaving."

A dripping head poked out of the bathroom door. "Ikuto?! But you said-"

"Just a walk, I'll come back." An amused look crept onto his face. "You're so paranoid, Amu."

"Can you two try not to cause any more destruction?" he demanded sarcastically to us, voice turning hard. I decided I did NOT like this cold-hearted kitty cat.

"Fine, then. Go leave on your walky-walk." I shot back, making a walking motion with my pursed his lips and left.

"Gray, maybe you shouldn't have said that." Lucy sighed. "Now he'll hate us even more."

I felt bad for her. I mean, Lucy must be feeling totally guilty, knowing that personality of hers. "What's his problem, anyway? Like, I'd be annoyed if I were him, but this guy is just a jerk." Light footsteps echoed on the floor. My eyes widened as I noticed Ikuto's friend, Amu I think, standing outside the bathroom door.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" I stammered.

"It's fine. Ikuto's a misunderstood guy. I can understand why you might hate him." Amu sat down next to Lucy. "He's just not one to trust easily. And he has good reason for that. Private reasons." Amu added in response to my curious look. The kid sure was nicer than catboy.

"Um, anyway." Amu cleared her throat. "So, you guys have magic. Maybe you won't be so surprised, then, at this." Wait, what?

"You have magic?" Lucy gasped.

"No,well, I come from a non-magic world. But a few people there have something close to magic." Natsu, Happy, Erza, Wendy, and Carla joined us in the now-crowded apartment, filing in silently.

"These are Shugo Chara, translated to Guardian Characters." Four small fairy-like people, but without wings, few out from the case latched onto Amu's waist.

"Meet Ran, Miki, Su, and Dia, my Shugo Chara."

"Hi! I'm Ran!" The energetic pink-dressed one twirled in midair.

"Hello, I'm Miki." This one, bedecked in blue, scribbled away furiously on a sketch pad as she spoke.

"I'm Su, nice to meet you!" The green themed one bowed respectfully.

"I am Dia. I enjoy meeting you." A calm one in yellow and orange inclined her head slightly.

"Shugo Chara represent who you want to be. Only other people with Shugo Chara can see them, but you have magic so I guess that has the same effect. Generally, a person only has one, and they need to have a strong desire for that. I have four, because, well, I have a lot of dreams?" Amu trailed of, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth.

We all broke out laughing. When we finally settled down, Natsu asked, "Wait, so does the catboy have a Shugo Whatever?"

Amu smiled. "It's Shugo Chara, and yes. His name is Yoru."

"Yoru, that means night." Erza spoke thoughtfully.

Amu blinked. "Yeah, so?"

"So nothing. Erza makes a lot of random observations." I teased my armored friend.

Erza smirked. "So, about that observation you just made about me..."

"Requip! Thunder Empress Armor!"

Yikes. Well, here goes.

Erza charged with her electric spear. I dodged nimbly, and blocked her attack.

"Ice Make Shield!"

In one strike Erza broke it, rushing forward so that I had to make another shield. In one fluid motion, she jumped upwards and struck from above.

"Woah! Ice Make Spear!" I yelled, as spear clashed against spear.

"What are you doing?!" Amu cried, her voice panicked. "Stop fighting!"

We both stopped at once, Erza requipping into her normal armor.

"Oh, yeah, I used to freak out when they did that, too." Lucy laughed. "This fighting's a normal occurrence, don't worry."

Thouroghly weirded out, Amu nodded. "O-okay...?

* * *

It was after dinner, and I prepared to leave with everyone but Lucy.

"Hey, have you noticed Ikuto's not back yet?" Amu asked, worried.

"Yeah." Lucy nodded. "Do you think he's lost?"

Amu stood up. "No. He has an excellent sense of direction. Most likely he just doesn't want to come back. I'll go get him."

"No, you just passed out, like, three hours ago." I said firmly, pushing her back onto the armchair. "We'll go look for him."

Erza glared at me. "And have you both fight again? I'll do it myself. Go home, you guys, you don't want to be in the mountains at night."

"How do you know where I live?!" I exclaimed. Was Erza some kind of weird stalker?

But she was already gone.

"Let's go, then." I said to Natsu, who nodded.

"Aye!" meowed (or said, what would a talking cat do?) Happy.

"I'll stay her with Carla, to find out more baout what happened to Amu-san. It might be a new ailment I have to learn about." Wendy announced almost inaudibly.

"Speak up, Wendy! You need to learn to be more confident!" Carla scolded, crossing her paws and folding her wings.

I shook my head and left.

Erza's P.O.V

I walked along the canal edge, keeping an eye out for the blue hair and feline features of Ikuto.

"Be careful out there, Lucy-chan!" called out a boater from the canal.

"I'm not Lucy!" I yelled back, and they rowed away at top speed. I have a knack for scaring people.

I continued along the canal, breathing in the cool night air and watching the full moon. As I turned towards a narrow road, I sensed someone.I stepped forward, on guard that it was either Ikuto or an enemy. So when I found myself face-to-face with Juvia, I felt slightly stupid.

"Oh, hello, Erza-san."

"Juvia! What are doing out here so late?"

"I wanted to have a word with Gray-sama."

"Gray headed home already. Couldn't you talk to him at the guild tomorrow?"

"No, I just wanted to ask him if he wanted to go on a job. Only, you know, because..." Juvia trailed off.

A small pang of guilt shot through me, because Juvia must be lonely. Gray was probably the only person who Juvia could actually call a friend. If you count a stalker and the one being stalked as friends, that is. Juvia had lost a lot of her gloom when she joined Fairy Tail, but I wondered if a part of her still wanted to clam up in her emotionless 'Rain Woman' shell.

"Do you want to take a walk with me? I'm looking for someone. Did you hear about Ikuto?" I asked, brushing my long hair out of my eyes.

"Yes, I am eager to meet him." Juvia brightened, falling into step alongside me.

"Just be warned-he's..."

Juvia scratched her head. " 'A completely disturbed overly protective weirdo', to quote Gray-sama."

I sighed. "Not exactly. It's just, well, never mind."

We continued in silence for a while, checking in alleys and trees, on rooftops and carts. As we rounded a corner to a stone pavillion, Juvia stiffened, but I had already drawn my sword.

An achingly melancholy song filled the air, its bittersweet tune wreathing its way into the darkest depths of our hearts. At first I thought it to be a spell, but as I listened it was just the feelings of a very pained person, feelings spilled out in music. It was instrumental, wordless, but held the same captivating power of Mira's singing. I stepped forward cautiously, Juvia right behind.

I almost gasped as I saw Ikuto standing in the pavilion the moonlight illuminating his figure drawing the bow gently across a beautiful, ornate violin. Juvia was frozen next to me, spellbound, and I let the powerful music enchant me, take me to another world. The dark night came alive with song, soaring in the chilling air. Nothing mattered, the whole world was focused on the sorrowful music from Ikuto's violin.

All at once, it stopped, everything ended. I swallowed, nervous for once, as Ikuto put down his violin. This was as good as failing to bring him back calmly.

"You know, that's exactly what Amu used to do." Ikuto smiled briefly, a sad smile, as he slung his violin case over his shoulder and came over to us.

Wait. He wasn't mad.

"Ikuto-san..." I said uncertainly, addressing him formally.

"Just call me Ikuto."

Juvia nearly did a double take. She had, come to think of it, seldom called someone something other than -san or

-sama.

"Who're you?" He asked Juvia.

"M-my name is Juvia." She bowed slightly, and Ikuto nodded.

"I'm Ikuto, nice to meet you." What was with this guy? He's suddenly all nice-talk about a mood swing.

"Look..." He said to me, a trace of apology in his voice. "I-I'm sorry about earlier. I freaked out, I'm never usually like that. It's just, I've been having problems, I was not able to take world-traveling very easily. And, if you see Gray apologize to him for me, would you?" He glanced at me embarrassedly, and then stared fixedly at the ground.

Juvia looked blank. This wasn't exactly what she was expecting of Ikuto, probably.

Ikuto smiled. "I suppose Gray told you all about my horribleness, huh, Juvia?"

Juvia jumped. "Yes, but..."

They continued to talk, but with a start I remembered Amu and her worried face. "Ikuto, we should head back to Lucy's place. Amu was concerned."

"Oh, yeah." Ikuto sighed. "I should have told her I was going to fetch my violin from where I dropped it before and play it for a while. Oh, great. Now she's going to kill me."

Confused, I asked him, "I thought you were close friends?"

He smirked. "You could say that, but it's a love-hate relationship."

We continued, listening to Ikuto moan about his certain doom at the hands of Amu.

This guy really wasn't so bad. Maybe Amu was right-he really was just misunderstood.

* * *

**Ikuto: She dared to make me apologize-**

**Sky: Well, would you have wanted the FT characters to continue to hate you?!**

**Ikuto:-and then have me complain about Amu being mad! As if! I'M always the winner of the arguments!**

**Amu: Well, see you later! And Ikuto, come over here! *overly cheery***

**Ikuto: My life is over.**

**Juvia: Anyway, sayonara! I'll come again next time!**

**Sky: *whispers* Not if I can get away with it!**


	4. The Price of Keeping Secrets

**Chapter 4**

**Last time, Gray comes over to Lucy's place, followed by the others. Amu explains Shugo Chara and Erza and Juvia look for Ikuto, who left before. They find him playing the violin and he apologizes.**

**Sky: Ok then. let's get to the chapter! BTW, I don't own Shugo Chara or Fairy Tail.**

**Juvia: Wait!**

**Sky: Oh no.**

**Juvia: Can Juvia-**

**Everyone: NO!**

* * *

Amu's P.O.V

The creak of an opening door broke the light conversation between Wendy, my Shugo Chara, and I, and I looked up to see Erza-san, a blue-haired girl I didn't know, and Ikuto.

"Ikuto!" I exclaimed. "Where were you?"

"I had to get my violin-I dropped it when I was summoned into this world. And then I played it for a while, and..." He trailed off, seeing my glare.

"You could have at least told me!" I grumbled.

Ikuto glanced nervously around. "But, Amu..." he said uncertainly, in low voice only I could catch.

Oh. "Just because Wendy and the others were around, Ikuto?" I shook my head. "Whatever."

"Erza-san, thank you for getting him. And thank you..." I addressed the other girl.

"Juvia. And you are very welcome." Erza and Juvia left, leaving me alone with Lucy, Wendy, and Ikuto.

Silence.

We all just sat there uncomfortably, completely different people brought together by unlikely circumstances.

"So, how about bed? You guys must be tired..." Lucy murmured, pulling out a golden key. "Here, I'll get you two beds."

She raised the key, striking it downwards. "Open, Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!"

I watched, awestruck, as in a swirl of golden light a beautiful young lady with pink hair, maid clothing and broken handcuffs around her wrists bowed to Lucy.

"Time for punishment, princess?" she asked in a monotone.

Wait, punishment? Where did that come from?

Lucy had already addressed that question, though. "No, it's not! I was just wondering, we have guests, and could you get them beds?"

"Of course, princess. I will be back soon." Virgo said in the same monotone, and disappeared.

"What is with her?" Ikuto asked, clearly weirded out.

Lucy laughed. "Virgo, is, uh, shall we say 'obsessed' with serving her master or mistress."

"Where did she go? Does she use magic?" Dia questioned, an expression of polite interest on her face.

"To the Celestial Spirit World. It's awesome there, glowy and purple and full of Spirits. We went there once-" Lucy had stopped abruptly, for something that slightly resembled Virgo appeared with two beds. But at least 90% was gorilla.

"V-Virgo? Why did you take on that form?"

"I apologize, princess." half-roared Virgo. "This was the only form that could handle the two beds. Shall I punish myself?" It sounded even more gruesome coming from a creature like her.

"No, Virgo. Just, um, thank you...?" Virgo was gone, leaving behind two beds, sheets and all.

Wendy shuddered. "I personally don't like that form of Virgo's very much..."

Lucy sighed. "No one does. Or, well, almost no one. But never mind that, it's past 11:00 p.m. Bed, Amu, you're still technically sick!" she said forcefully, pushing me into bed. "Wendy, stay here for the night, you can have my bed."

"No thank you Lucy-san, Carla and I will be fine with the cushions."

After a heated argument (which Wendy surprisingly won), Lucy turned out the light and I pulled the covers over my head, sleep claiming me instantly.

Wendy's P.O.V

"Oof!" I tumbled onto the ground, awakened by my fall from the cushions.

Rubbing my head, I looked around. It was 2:47 a.m., according to Lucy's clock. The sky was dark and murmured voices were the only sound.

Voices?

Ikuto-san and Amu-chan were conversing on their beds, half sitting and half laying down. I tried to tune them out, but it was impossible not to hear them.

"Hey, Ikuto, is it just me or do you hate these people less now?"

A low-voiced laugh. "I kind of apologized in the evening. I lost control right after you were summoned. You didn't see me-you had blacked out."

"Still, that was good of you."

"Yeah. I was just kind of on the verge of exploding then...stuff has been happening..."

"What do you mean?"

I found myself straining to listen, even though it was wrong and these were personal conversations.

"Never mind."

"Ikuto, you can tell me, you know." There was a trace of concern in Amu-chan's still-frail voice.

"No, it's fine."

"You've known me for years now! I was eleven then, now I'm thirteen!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm more mature now, and besides, you can't keep secrets for your whole life, can you, Ikuto." Amu-chan put emphasis on his name, pleading with him.

An everlasting silence filled the air.

"Father came back, and Utau's leaving."

"What?!" Amu sounded shocked.

Who was Ikuto-san's father, and who was Utau-san? This was not the right thing to be doing, and yet I wanted to hear more. My internal battle subsided immediately when Ikuto-san and Amu-chan began talking again.

"Ikuto, what happened? I thought...when you came back three months ago, was he with you?" asked Amu-chan. 'He' must be Ikuto-san's father, and had they been gone?"

"No, he..." Ikuto-san seemed to think better of what he was going to say. "Whatever, who cares about this family junk?" Ikuto-san muttered. But he cared, though he didn't dare admit it.

"I care!" Amu chan's voice was surprisingly loud, and she looked around nervously before continuing, "Why didn't you tell me about your father? When did you find out Utau was leaving? I'm her friend, too!"

Ikuto-san mumbled something incomprehensible and Amu-chan got furious, reaching up and shaking him by the shoulders.

"You idiot, you think you can hide all your sadness and put on a passive face? Don't say you don't care! By saying that, you're throwing away all the devotion and love they've given you! You're saying you don't care about them!" For your whole life, you've hidden away your pain and pretended you didn't care, that you would not break, would not let anyone pity you. You think, after all that you've gone through, that it doesn't matter?! You're just willing to isolate yourself from your true feelings, hide from your true self. You still haven't found it, Ikuto! Or even if you did, you refuse to accept it!"

Ikuto-san flung Amu-chan away in one strong motion, and she skidded back upon her own bed.

"Who said my father cares about me? It's been eleven years, he's just been gone and now he shows up at our doorstep? It's his fault, he put me through all of this. Who says I should care?" He spoke calmly, yet bitter anger rung through every syllable.

Amu-chan sat back up, speaking in a voice choked with emotion. "But what about Utau? You never saw her face, that afternoon of her first independent concert! 'Ikuto!' She was so excited to have you there, her eyes lit up with happiness. And it broke my heart to tell her you weren't coming, the way her face fell. You're her big brother! She adores you, admires you, is devoted to you! If one person cares, it's Utau!"

Ikuto-san stood up, a heavy, resigned expression on his face. "Well, whatever happened then, it's not happening now. She didn't tell me she was leaving. I overheard her telling Kukai over ramen. She'd tell _him_ rather than her brother."

So Utau-san was Ikuto-san's sister, probably younger. She left and wasn't going to tell Ikuto-san. Wow, he's got a complicated life.

Amu-chan's eyes got big and I could see them reflecting in the moonlight. "Oh, Ikuto..."

"It's not like I care." Ikuto-san sat down on his bed with a plop. "She can tell the whole world but me and I wouldn't mind. Not one bit."

Amu-chan studied his face for a while. "How much does your pride matter to you?" she asked after a long pause.

"Pride?"

"Pride is clouding your judgement. Ikuto, admit that you do care, and it hurts, and that you showed up at my place yesterday to distract yourself from your sadness. But are you helping yourself, by protecting your pride?"

As I listened to her soft words, I realized that Amu-chan was a lot wiser than she seemed. But Ikuto-san didn't acknowledge that.

"What do you know? Perfect life, perfect family, your path is clear and you have high hopes for the future." Ikuto-san turned away, and Amu clambered over to his bed.

"Maybe I don't know. But I do know the price of keeping secrets." She held his gaze, transferring a secret message woven into her words. She snuggled up inside her own bed, and I had to quickly shut my eyes to not be caught.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ikuto-san exhaled. "Thanks."

I opened my eyes a fraction to see a smiling Amu. "You're welcome."

"Good night."

"Morning, it's 3:13 a.m."

"Well, good morning.

"Haha."

I stayed where I was, curled up and seemingly oblivious to everything that had just taken place.

Ikuto-san and Amu-chan-what was their bond that tied them so close? What had happened between them?

And what was the price Amu-chan had paid?

The price of keeping secrets...

* * *

**Sky: MWHAHAHAHA!**

**Wendy: *hitting herself against wall* I am such a bad person! **

**Amu: Wendy, what's wrong? Why are you doing that?**

**Wendy: WAAAAAH!**

**Amu: Wendy?!**


	5. What? They Can Go Back?

**Chapter 5**

** Last time, Amu, Ikuto and Wendy stayed at Lucy's place for the night. At night, Wendy overhears an argument between Amu and Ikuto about Ikuto's father and sister. They resolve it, but leave Wendy with confused thoughts.**

**Sky: Whew, that was hard to fit into two lines!**

**Wendy: Sky-san, did you have to provide evidence that...**

**Amu: Hey, guys! Sorry Ikuto and I are late, did we miss the 'last time'?**

**Sky: *giggles nervously* Never mind, we're moving on.**

* * *

Ikuto's P.O.V

I sat idly at the foot of my bed, swinging my legs back and forth and still reflecting on Amu's words that had kept me up much longer than they had for her.

"_Don't say you don't care! By saying that, you're throwing away all the devotion and love they've given you! You're saying you don't care about them!"_

"_You're just willing to isolate yourself from your true feelings, hide from your true self."_

_"How much does your pride matter to you?"_

_ "But are you helping yourself, by protecting your pride?" _

_"Maybe I don't know. But I do know the price of keeping secrets." _

"Hey, Ikuto!" Lucy poked her head in. "Good, you're up. Breakfast's ready!"

I nodded slightly and headed over to the kitchen. I began stabbing my waffles with a fork, deep in thought.

My pride. It had refused to let me tell anyone my problems, refused to let me see how by keeping secrets I was not being brave, I was being selfish. But this morning, Amu had opened my eyes. (Not literally, of course. That would have been gross.) Amu had paid for keeping secrets, and so would I, if I didn't stop.

"Ikuto! I said, do you want any butter!" I broke out of my reverie to see Lucy looming over me with a stick of butter and a knife.

"Wha? Oh, no thanks."

"You're spacing out today. Is anything wrong?" Lucy narrowed her eyes slightly, concerned.

Of course things were wrong! We're in the wrong world, seriously! But whatever. "Nothing." I answered, glancing across to Amu, who was looking whiter than ever.

"I'm not hungry, Lucy-san." She mumbled, pushing away her plate. I was worried about that kid. Even after several sessions of healing by Wendy, she only seemed to be getting worse.

"Are you okay, Amu? You should be hungry..." Lucy pushed the plaste back to Amu.

"Come on, Amu-chan!" Wendy pleaded.

"Oh, okay, fine." Amu reverted to staring at her breakfast without actually eating it.

"Have you found out what her sickness is?" I inquired Wendy, who jumped and started stammering,

"Well, I w-was up early, and, uh, I t-think I, um, my have, um, f-found something?"

If anything, this kid was even more scared of us than she was before!

"Well, what is it?"

Wendy pulled out a bunch of notes, her voice becoming stronger as she discussed her one major strength. "It seems that Amu-chan has been attacked by a virus, which is not at it's most severe. This leads me to believe that something is protecting her from getting infected. The virus, which I analyzed, seems to be some kind of negative energy."

"Negative energy?!" Amu gasped. My brain began working thing that Amu had constant contact with was full to bursting with negative energy...

"X eggs!" cried Ran.

"X-" Lucy began, but Dia had already started off with an explanation.

"Some kids have Shugo Chara, but all kids have a 'heart's egg.' When the dream is strong the egg hatches into a Shugo Chara, but when the dream is broken a negative-energy X egg is formed."

Miki continued, "It's the job of Amu-chan and her friends, a team called the Gaurdians, to purify X eggs and return them to their owner's hearts."

"But the X eggs have never made Amu-chan sick before!" exclaimed Su.

"Maybe they were too powerful or something-nya." Yoru mused.

"Never mind that," said Wendy's cat, Carla, brushing the comment aside. "Is there any way to get rid of the sickness, Wendy?"

"Well, maybe. If the negative enrgy is making Amu-chan sick, then positive energy might cure it. Do you know of any positive energy we could use?" Wendy addressed us.

Amu bit her lip. "The opposite of X eggs are Shugo Chara, so maybe that's..."

Something clicked in my mind. "Character Transformations." I announced. "It happens when a Character Bearer-a person with a Shugo Chara, that is- uses 120% of the Shugo Chara's power and transforms with them. It brings the Shugo Chara inside them, and that would enable them to cure Amu!" I couldn't keep the triumphant note from my voice.

"That's it!" Amu yelled, but quietly and in a weak voice.

"Yeah!" All Amu's Shugo Chara, plus Yoru, agreed.

"Then, can you transform now?" asked Lucy eagerly.

I began to have second thoughts. For a sick person like Amu, Transformations exhausted the Character Bearer. What if it failed, and Amu got even weaker?

But it was too late. She had already begun. "My heart: Unlock." The air around turned into a purple vortex as she took Ran's red and black egg in her hands and brought it to her heart. She glowed, changing into a pink cheerleader's outfit and a visor with a heart pin.

"Character Transformation: Amulet Heart..."

All of a sudden Amu stumbled, and all of us rushed over. This could not be a repeat of when she was summoned, please...

I could sense Ran searching for the sickness inside of her and when she locked onto it Amu began radiating dark energy.

"Here goes!" called Ran from inside.

Amu screamed, a shrill, piercing scream, as darkness exploded from her body, repelled by the presence of a Shugo Chara. Miki, Su, and Dia circled around Amu, trying to protect her from further harm.

"Purify it, quick!" I heard my voice yelling as it advanced towards the nearest human...Lucy.

"Negative, Heart, L-lock, lock..." Amu trailed off. "I don't have enough energy!" She wheezed. The dark energy had wreathed around Lucy, trapping her in it's clutches.

Even though she could have abandoned us when she found out we weren't spirits, she didn't. She took care of us, helped us...we could not let her down now.

I rushed over to Amu, my Dumpty Key responding to her Humpty Lock. In desperation, I threw the key around her neck and watched, breathless, as she filled with the power of the Lock and Key.

"Negative Heart, Lock On!" Amu called, restored to full energy. "Open Heart!" Amu's bright, purifying magic enveloped the darkness, sharing it's radiance with everything around it. The dark energy fell away from Lucy, slowly morphing until it was pure once more. Amu undid her transformation, wiping the sweat from her forehead and joining Lucy.

"Are you alright?" Amu, as Wendy checked Lucy.

"No sickness or injury, she escaped in the nick of time."she announced. We all heaved a sigh of relief.

"As for Amu...she's cured!" On the spur of the moment Lucy twirled Amu around in the air like a small child and I gave Wendy a high-five.

"Alright!"

After our mini-party subsided, Amu handed the Dumpty Key back to me. "Thanks, Ikuto." she said as the cold metal touched my palm.

Lucy grinned. "If not for you two, who knows what would have become of me by now! So let's party!" She yelled.

"Party? Where did that come from?" I was dumbfounded.

"We party for everything." Lucy laughed. "Come on, guys, to Fairy Tail!"

Natsu's P.O.V

"I still have a hard time accepting that catboy isn't a jerk." my rival with a popsicle instead of a brain grumbled.

"He apologized, and said he doesn't usually act like that, so all's well that ends well. And don't call him catboy!" Erza scolded him. Yes! I'm ahead now in the Number of Scoldings contest we've had since we were kids! (Mostly by Erza, but once Lucy joined Fairy Tail she contributed a fair amount.)

Natsu: 46,979

Gray: 46,980

Whoohoo!

"Hey, guys, what're you talking about?" Mira came over with our drinks and sat on the counter with her legs swaying gently.

"Ikuto." We all answered at once.

Mira tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Come on, guys, don't be too hard on him. He must have been pretty upset. I mean, how would you feel?"

Erza nodded vigorously, but Gray just harrumphed.

"What do you have against him, ice boy?" I shot at him.

"Nothing in particular, flame brain."

Erza smirked slightly. "Gray just doesn't want to apologize to Ikuto."

"Who said I was-"

"You do, Gray." Mira smiled. "You're a good person, and good people feel bad when they insult someone for no apparent reason."

"Whatever." he said, which probably means that he agreed. It's what I would have said-wait, no, scratch that! I do NOT have any similarities to Popsicle Head!

"Hey, someone's coming!" Lisanna called. Lucy came in, with Wendy, and Amu, and Ikuto. If Erza hadn't narrated the story of the night before with Juvia, people would have been much colder. But now, they only gathered around them because of the fact that they came from another world.

"Woah, cool, what are those mini flying people?"

"Some kind of magic?"

Amu repeated the definition of Shugo Chara, and I watched Gray approach Ikuto. If he failed at apologizing I'd be able to make fun of him, so watched from behind a barrel.

And then the weirdest thing happened! Apparently Ikuto wanted to apologize too, and they said the same thing! AT THE SAME TIME!

"Look, I'm sorry for what I said before..." They said simultaneously, scratching their heads.

"Huh?" They said, still together.

"Wait, why are you talking at the same time as me?" HAHAHA I was going to explode from holding in my laughter!

"This is weird!"

"Stop it!"

I sensed someone crouching nearby. I looked around, and spotted Erza-with a video camera! She glanced at me and winked. Now I'm even with Gray in the Smiles or Other Positive Nonverbal Gestures by Erza contest!

Natsu: 247

Gray:247

"Seriously?!" Ikuto and Gray said at the same time. At this point I couldn't help myself, and I burst out laughing.

Erza gave me one murderous look before leaving the camera and exiting swiftly, as so not to be caught. I wasn't so lucky.

"What are you doing in there?"

"Are you talking at the same time as me on purpose?!" Every move of theirs, every word, every syllable was so coordinated, it was hilarious.

"AH HA HA HA!" I guffawed, using my laughter as a ruse. I quietly slipped the video camera into a dark corner, and they walked off, shrugging in sync. Safe!

"Got it?" Erza slinked back to me. "Nice." She stored the camera with her and disappeared as silently as she came.

Gray and I used to have a Praise by Erza contest, but we gave it up because she praised us so rarely...

I dusted myself off and went to see what all the commotion in the center of the guild was. I hope it's a fight!

But it was just everyone gathered around Amu and Ikuto, who had rejoined Amu. Lucy was apparently gonna try to send them home, even though it hadn't worked before...

"Okay, we're going to try again! Amu, Ikuto, focus on going home!" Lucy called authoratively.

"Gate of the Black Lynx, Gate of the Amulet, Forced Closure!"

Then, to my surprise, they began to shimmer away.

"We're going back?!" Ikuto exclaimed incredulously.

"Thank you, everyone!" breathed Amu, and then they were gone.

Silence echoed throughout the guild-a rare occurence. And then Lucy was surrounded by cheering people and slaps on the back.

"Nicely done!"

"You did it!"

Lucy just stood there looking shocked.

"Hey, Lucy." I addressed my best friend.

"Oh, Natsu!" She seemed surprised to see me. Well, she had been preoccupied with Amu and Ikuto yesterday and today...

Our team plus Wendy and Carla went over to a secluded table and began to discuss this new phenomenon.

"How did you do it?" asked Gray.

Lucy examined the set of silver keys. "I don't know. I did the same thing as before..."

"Was anything different between the two summonings?"

We all racked our brains to think of any differences. Finally Carla speculated, "Well, Amu was rid of the darkness the second time, so..."

"That's it!" Everyone seemed to get it except me, even Happy.

"Wait, what?" I cocked my head to one side.

"You dumb 'ol flamebrain, the sickness was preventing them from going back!" sneered the one and only Ice Cream Face.

"Wait, you cured Amu?" he added after a second thought.

"Haha! Who's the dumb one NOW!" I jeered, as Lucy began to narrate her tale.

* * *

Two days later, life at Fairy Tail was reverting to normal. Lucy still kept the set of two with her, but on a separate key ring that she never used. The only proof that they even existed was the video of Ikuto and Gray talking at the same time, which went viral amongst the members of Fairy Tail and angered Gray so much he nearly exploded.

He was totally the laughingstock of the guild! In your FACE, ice boy!

Occasionally we brought up the topic of Ikuto and Amu, wondering if they got back home alright. But there was no way of finding out.

"Today's rainier and gloomier than usual-wonder what got Juvia upset?" Lucy commented as she sat down beside me the third morning after Ikuto and Amu left.

"Oh, she lost her necklace. Keep an eye out for it, or else it'll never stop raining." Gray commented dispassionately. Only in Fairy Tail will a guild member's emotions affect the weather forecast.

"MAN!" roared Elfman, pumping his arms in the air. "Who wants to have a MANLY fight with me?!"

"I do." growled Erza, even though she's a woman. But that didn't matter to Elfman-he scurried away like a scared rabbit.

"Some Man." Cana chuckled from nearby, and Macao yelled his agreement.

The rain thickened until it was practically a downpour. "So much for going on a job today." sighed Lucy, looking outside.

"Aye."

"Wonder what happened to Juvia?"

As if to answer our question, Juvia stumbled in, sobbing.

"Juvia! What's wrong!" exclaimed Gray.

Erza stopped chasing Elfman. "Oh, why are you crying?"

Juvia wailed, "Juvia just realized Gray-sama's birthday is today, and I forgot to buy him a gift! Juvia is a bad friend!"

Gray cocked his head. "It's my birthday? Don't be fussed about it, Juvia, nobody'll have remembered."

Lucy rummaged in her bag. "Actually, I thought I had something..."

"LUCY-SAN REMEMBERED!" cried Juvia, and the downpour increased as she walked off.

"Wait a second..." Lucy's hand froze and five human heads and two cat heads peered into her bag. Ikuto's and Amu's keys were glowing!

In a flash of light, the two people we thought we would never see again appeared, gasping for breath.

"You need to help us!" pleaded Amu as she pushed her straggly pink hair away from her panicked golden eyes.

Ikuto faced us grimly. "The dark energy is taking over our world."

* * *

**Juvia: JUVIA FOUND HER NECKLACE! And it can be a birthday gift for Gray-sama!**

***weather clears***

**Sky: Oooh, a rainbow!**

**Gray: A necklace? Okay...**

**Sky: Do you want me to change the update schedule to once every 2 days? Please drop a review to answer! Also I won't be updating until Tuesday at least.**


	6. Aruto is Psycho and Utau is a Jerk

**Chapter 6**

**Last time, Amu was cured by a character transformation. This enabled Amu and Ikuto to go home, but three days later they reappear- their world is being taken over by dark energy.**

**Sky: Thanks so much for the inspiring and amazing review, Yua-hime! Your suggestions were also really intruiging, and I'll try to follow them. **

***Erza is holding catnip***

**Ikuto: Wait Erza how did you know I love catnip?!**

**Erza: This is for Happy and Carla...**

***Amu whispers something to Erza***

**Erza: Okay...*waves catnip in front of Ikuto's face***

**Yoru: Chara CHANGE!**

***Ikuto goes crazy over catnip***

**Amu: ERZA, WHERE'S THE VIDEO CAMERA?!**

* * *

Amu's P.O.V

All the horrors that had just taken place played through my mind like some gruesome movie, and it was almost as painful to relive it.

"T-this is what happened..." I fought to keep myself from bursting into tears.

(flashback)

* * *

Amu's P.O.V (cont)

We tumbled onto my all-too-familiar pink bed that now reminded me of Lucy's.

I reached out and touched the spiral-bound notebook that read,

Amu Hinamori

Grade 8

Seiyo Middle School

"We're home!" Dia gasped delightedly.

Ikuto glanced around. "Sure, you're home, but I'm not. And besides, what are you going to say? You've just disappeared for two days."

Suddenly, a voice that sounded exactly like mine, except completely emotionless, muttered,

"I'm going up to my room."

A perfect mirror image of me, hairstyle and all, walked inside.

"Mistress located and safe." she announced, and then began to dissipate.

"Wait!" I called. "Who are you?!"

"Are you Amu Hinamori?" It asked calmly.

"Y-yes."

"I am a defense mechanism activated by the traveling between worlds. You have arrived back in your own world, so I shall leave. If you choose to travel again, I will be reactivated. Good evening." It shimmered like a hologram and disappeared.

"Well, that was weird." said Yoru, cocking his head to one side.

"Amu-chan? It's time for lunch!" called my mom from downstairs.

I jumped. "Coming, mom!" To Ikuto I said, "You better get going now. My dad will freak if he finds out there's a boy in my room."

Ikuto sighed and made for the balcony door. "Later, Amu."

Oh yeah. He was going home. Where his dad was. And Utau.

"You know what? If you don't want to go home, I'll ask my parents if you can stay over."

Ikuto shook his head. "Don't wanna trouble your parents." He Chara Changed with Yoru, hitched his violin case up higher on his shoulder, and leaped off the balcony.

"I wonder if he'll be alright...?" Su murmured as she fluttered down to the egg basket where she slept.

I shrugged, then hurried downstairs to see my family for the first time in two days...although they didn't know that!

* * *

Tugging on my shoes, I glanced at the clock.

"You're late for school, Amu-chan!" giggled Ran.

"Well, that's a surprise." commented Miki sarcastically.

"Hurry up-desu, Amu-chan!" Su never had any criticisms to say.

"You should probably Chara Change with Ran, or else Nikaidou-sensei will be upset." Dia advised, and I did as she said.

I soared above the treetops, powered by the wings on my wrists and ankles (courtesy of the Chara Change).

I couldn't help but wonder how Lucy, Wendy, Gray, how all of them were doing. Even just two days together had left a lasting impression in my mind. Oh, Fairy Tail...

"We're here!" my Shugo Chara chorused, and I broke out of my reverie. I landed softly near the school and bolted for the Grade 8 Star Class, arriving just in time.

I screeched to a halt among the chattering students, but there was no teacher.

"Nikaidou-sensei isn't even here yet." I grumbled, taking my usual seat next to Rima.

"Hey, Rima."

"Amu. Oh, hi."

Rima seemed under the weather, her petite body somehow seeming even smaller than it was. And she was pretty small!

"Are you-" I began, but our clumsy teacher had shuffled in behind a pile of books, beginning the class.

"Hello, everyone! Let me take attendance..."

The math class passed in a blur, but I had more to worry about than integers. Tadase-kun was looking foggy, and Rima seemed off. Was it possible...had they been infected as well?

I whispered my suspicions to Ran, Miki, Su, and Dia in Language Arts.

"That's very possible." answered Dia.

"They were all fighting with you two days ago, right?" asked Ran.

"Right."

"Hinamori-san, are you willing to tell the class what you were telling Mashiro-san?"

"S-sorry, Nikaidou-sensei."I stammered, blushing red and vowing to myself to remember that other people can't see Shugo Chara from now on. It must have looked like I was talking to Rima!

Both Nikaidou-sensei and Rima looked bemused-Rima because I wasn't really whispering to her, and Nikaidou-sensei because...wait, why was he confused?

Nikaidou-sensei scratched his messy head of hair.

"Hinamori-san, I just wanted to hear your sentence to show the class the parts of speech!"

Oh. Well, I can't say what I just said! It would sound crazy!

"I-I said, 'Meet me near the fountain at lunch break-it's important." I lied, plastering a fake smile on my face and glancing at Rima. She got the message, nodding her head in the tiniest motion.

"That was excellent. Now, what kind of sentence is this?"

Uh oh. We must have studied this in class when I was 'gone'.

"Imperative." The word popped out of my mouth.

That's when I noticed Miki's wink. I felt up to my hairclip. Sure enough, a blue spade had replaced my usual cross-shaped clip. A Chara Change!

"And, what is/are the subject(s)?"

"Rima?" I said nervously. Miki was technically an arts and music Shugo Chara, but she was also the most clever. How far could she go?

"The predicate?"

What's a predicate, anyway?

"Uh..." I glanced to Rima, looking for help, but her hands were clenched and her face was deathly white.

Oh, great. If she collapsed here...

"Mashiro-san, are you feeling all right?" Thank goodness Nikaidou-sensei had noticed.

"I'll take her to the nurse." I volunteered, jumping out of my seat. "Come on, Rima, let's go."

Lots of gears seemed to be turning in Nikaidou-sensei's head. I knew he could see Shugo Chara, and he knew something was wrong. He had probably seen me talking to my Shugo Chara before, but couldn't say it in front of the class.

"Hinamori-san, here's a late pass for you two for your next class." He handed a slip to me, with a note scribbled on it in messy handwriting.

_Does this have to do with you-know-what?_

_See me after school with the other Guardians, if you can._

_P.S. Be careful about talking to your Shugo Chara in class._

"Right. Thanks, sensei." I nearly dragged Rima out of the room, where instead of taking her to the nurse I took her outside.

"What is this, Amu? Suddenly, Rima..." Kusukusu looked at me with fearful eyes, her usually smiling face sober.

"Rima, the X eggs we fought two days ago made us all sick. Character Transformations cure it-that's how I'm fine. Don't ask how I found out, it won't be long before the others collapse and then we'll have a problem."

"Amu-"

"Just transform!"

After a pause, Rima obeyed.

"My Heart: Unlock!" She transformed with Kusukusu, a clown's outfit popping up on her.

"Character Transformation: Clown Drop!"

"Go, Kusukusu!" I cried, and the Shugo Chara found the dark energy inside of her bearer.

Rima's high voice struck through the air in a heartrending scream, and blackish-purple energy burst from her. But in a couple of seconds, it was all out-and getting away.

I transformed with Miki into Amulet Spade, heart thumping wildly in the face of this new danger.

"Colorful Canvas!" I waved my giant paintbrush to momentarily trap the darkness in sticky rainbow-colored paint.

"Juggling Party!" Rima, free of her sickness, added her flying bowling pins to the frenzy.

"Now, Amu-chan!" called Su.

I took a deep breath. Here goes!

"Negative Heart: Lock On! Open Heart!" Blue hearts shot from my fingertips and encompassed the darkness in light.

Panting, I tucked a strand of pink hair behind my ear as the energy became pure.

"What just...?" Rima gazed up at me fearfully.

"Rima, we have to find the others. You would have collapsed if I hadn't got there. But hurry!" I ordered my best friend. Still transformed, we headed back towards the school premises,

Just then, the bell rang for lunch break. Seeing us transformed, Tadase-kun and Nagihko ran-or limped, given their sickness-to where we were.

"Guys, trans-" I began, but they were one step ahead of me. They must have thought we had to fight X eggs, but it was really the opposite way around.

"Character Transformation: Platinum Royale!"

"Character Transformation: Beat Jumper!"

"Rima!" I called to her for help as the darkness exploded from the newest victims.

"Juggling Party!"

The energy was trapped, and I purified it once more.

"Amu-chan, what...?" Tadase-kun questioned, befuddled.

"It was making us sick. The Shugo Chara healed us by getting inside us when we transformed. They repel the dark energy. I just-figured it out..." I lied nervously, remembering Wendy. I would tell Tadase-kun and the rest, sometime.

Suddenly, Nagihko gasped. "Yaya! Where is she?"

"Didn't she..." Tadase-kun began.

"...Go to..." I gasped.

"...The elementary school?!" Rima finished

It was the little seventh grader's turn to help out the Seiyo Elementary Guardians-our elementary correspondents-today.

There were seven minutes of break left.

"Seiyo Elementary, here we come!"

* * *

I threw open the glass doors of the Royal Garden, undoing my transformation as Amulet Heart. Even as I raced up the steps, Yaya collapsed at the table in front of me.

"Ace!" Kairi cried.

"Amu-senpai? What's going on?" Rikka glanced up, spotting me.

"Is something wrong with Yaya-san?" Hikaru was the only one who kept cool, blue eyes darting over all of us.

"Never mind that. Pepe, trans-"

"Why?! In case you haven't noticed, Yaya-tan just passed out!" cried Pepe indignantly.

All four of us bellowed at her until she transformed. There was nothing else we could do.

"Get ready!" I yelled, as Yaya transformed into Dear Baby.

"Holy Crown!" Golden light engulfed Yaya.

"Blaze Shoot!" The electric blue energy ball darted in circles around her.

"Tightrope Dancer!" Ropes swung around Yaya, finishing the elaborate net we had created.

Renewed as Amulet Clover, I purified Yaya's darkness. Slowly she stirred and woke, gazing up at us sleepily.

"Amu-chi...Tadase...Rima-tan, Nagi?"

"Yaya, are you alright?" We all gathered around the young Guardian.

She brushed us off. "Yeah, Yaya's fine. But will someone explain to Yaya why this happened?And how Amu-chi knew about it?"

"That's what we'd like to know, Amu." Nagihko's violet eyes bore into me.

"You're going to think I'm crazy, but here's the story..."

* * *

Ikuto's P.O.V (the next morning)

I shielded my eyes from the sun, glad that I had graduated last year and was free to do whatever I wanted.

"Ikuto, Ik-u-to!" Yoru danced around me."Will you play with me-nya? Pleeease!"

Sometimes it amazes me that Yoru is actually my would-be self.

"Go play with your cats, Yoru." 'Yoru's cats' were actually alley cats, but they acted like pets to my feline Shugo Chara.

"But Ikutooooo..."

"Whatever." I continued in my stroll, winding my way into the park. It was empty at this schooltime hour-nearly empty, that is.

"Hey, is that you? Ikuto?"

"Oh, Yukagu?" It was one of my old high-school friends. If you could call them friends, that is.

"How's it going?" he asked.

"Fine, you?" No way I was going to even come close to barely glossing over my problems.

"Well, did you hear the college applications came back? I'm excited, I got into a good one."

College? I had applied to only a few schools...music schools...

"I didn't know that. Thanks for the info, Yukagu. Later." Then I walked away as fast as I could without appearing frazzled.

"College, huh?" Yoru sounded a little desolate.

"What's so bad about it?"

"Nothing. It's just...when you go to college, aren't you all grown up-nya?" Yoru's amber eyes found mine.

He didn't want to leave, and Shugo Chara reunite with their bearers once they've grown up. So in short, if I grew up, then bye-bye Yoru.

"Who says I'll grow up in college?" I smirked, stopping to look ahead.

I was at my house, but I spent so little time there that it was more like a 'place to live'.

I pulled out the mail and strolled inside, leafing through it in the kitchen, a.k.a. place to eat.

"Bills, insurance, uh, modeling magazines? Must be for Utau...there. Ikuto Tsukiyomi."

My heart gave a little jolt as I realized it was from Tokyo Academy of Music and Art.

I unfolded it, shaking almost unnoticeably.

_Tsukiyomi-san,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Tokyo Academy of Music and Art. Please see the attached yearly schedule and tuition fees. Term starts on April 21. Please bring your own instrument, unless you play the piano or a similar instrument. We hope to see you next year._

_Sincerely,_

A bunch of formal signatures followed. But I got in! I got in, I got in, I got in! T.A.M.A was one of the most prestigious music schools in Japan. Trying to control my internal celebration, I turned to Yoru.

"Hey, read this." I said, and my telltale grin must have given it away.

"Nice, Ikuto! But come to think of it, where is your violin-nya?

Wait-didn't I have it with me as I got the mail? I must have dropped it!

I started towards the door, but a kind-of-familiar voice stopped me.

"Ikuto." My father stood at the top of the staircase. He was here. My senses became over-aware.

Suddenly the atmosphere crackled with tension, and I could hear every footstep of mine echo against the tiles as I climbed up the stairs, towards my father.

"Father, what do you want?" I wish my voice wasn't so cold and hard. But sometimes, I can't help it with him.

"Ikuto, could you look at this violin for me?" He handed me his new violin-his old one just so happened to be mine.

"Father, it looks fine. Why-" I raised my head, only to see my father face me with a strange look in his eyes.

The bow he was holding morphed into a sword, and he sliced.

"Yoru!" I called, and as I dodged with the aid of a Chara Change, I could only see his movements, and why, why would he, he was my father, right?

"Do not try to escape me." His voice had turned monotonous.

"Aargh!" In a series if painful thumps, my father had pinned me to the staircase.

He raised the sword.

All I could see was its shiny metal edge and Yoru pressed against me. The blade swung towards me, and my breath caught in my throat.

I would never be able to see Amu or Utau again, never play the violin again, never go to college...

I threw my hands in front of me, and the sword cut deep into my palms. Unable to stand the pain, I withdrew, and it glanced over my throat. All thoughts escaped my mind, and I could only hear my own heart thumping, that would soon cease to beat-

"Let go of Ikuto!" Amu's unmistakable voice pierced my ears.

Saved.

"Starlight Navigation!" Golden light spun in the air, and I stumbled out of the way. Still dizzy from lack of air, I crashed down the stairs before colliding with the mail, my foot hitting the floor hard. Pain shot through my ankle, and the modeling magazine was slid into my pant leg. I lay there for a second, mind trying to keep up with the drastic events as Amu yanked me away.

"Come on!"

"Amu, my ankle..."

"We'll deal with your ankle later!"

I hobbled on one foot to the door, where Amu took off. She glowed radiantly with the power of Amulet Diamond-her most powerful transformation. She soared, towing me along so that I flew alongside her.

I had no control, though, and the modeling magazine was getting further and further stuck inside my pant. Ugh.

Yoru caught up to us around the time my vision cleared. Amu was landing near the park's pavilion, and she was clutching my violin.

Wait, my violin?

We tumbled gently onto the grass, and my trembling hands found the violin case. It was safe, safe. I felt as though a giant weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

"Ikuto?! Ikuto, are you alright! Ikuto..."

I became dimly aware of the fact that I was still lying in the grass, and I heaved myself into a sitting position.

"Stop it, Amu, I'm fine. Just my stupid ankle..." I winced, feeling the swollen foot.

Amu was crouching on the grass next to me, her bright pink hair straggly and limp. Amulet Diamond must have exhausted her, and she had just landed from over fifty feet up. No wonder she looked like a human rag doll.

"Amu, how did you get here-to me?"

Amu did a quick head count of her Shugo Chara as she spoke. "Well, I was going to the Royal garden-I explained the whole world-traveling thing to the Guradians yesterday, and they believed me. But we were going to discuss it further today. I saw your violin on the street, then I realized it near was your house. I went to give it to you, and, and..." Amu trailed off.

There was a long pause as I processed what that scene must have looked like to Amu. Me, pinned to a staircase by my own father with a sword at my throat. I shuddered, and Amu looked straight at me.

"Was that your father?"

"Yeah."

"Ikuto..."

"Hmmm?"

"Ikuto, what..."

"What what?"

"You know what."

"Whatever."

"Ikuto, are you okay?"

"No."

"I get why."

"Of course you do."

"Will you tell me what happened?"

"Maybe."

"You're not alone, Ikuto."

"I know."

"You do?"

"I do."

* * *

I stayed there for a long, long, time, panic reduced to a low, constant fear. We sat there in silence, a silence that spoke more than a thousand words. Amu was looking at me with an open, interested face, mildly curious but not pressuring.

I was glad it was Amu here, now, and not anyone else.

The knot in my chest tightened whenever I thought of my father, so I tried to distract my mind with other things. Little things, like a budding flower or the sound of a bird chirping.

When I could tell Amu was about to break the quiet, I broke it for her.

"I got accepted into college."

Amu jumped. "Wait, what? College?"

Her shocked expression sent an amused smile to my face. Knowing her, she probably hadn't even realized I was college-age.

I reached over to my violin. "Yep. Tokyo Academy of Music and Art."

"W-well, that's great, Ikuto. But why...bring it up now, I mean...?"

"Never mind." I shook my head and curled up into a tighter ball.

Amu laughed. "You look like Rima!"

Rima. Wasn't she that short blonde kid who transformed into a clown?

I let myself listen to Amu's stories, lured into her trap of distraction. But I honestly couldn't care less. I wanted to go home and sleep-except that wasn't an option.

Amu sighed. "Ikuto, you're gonna have to see a doctor about that ankle." She spoke the word with dread, as though she knew my response.

"Why should I?" I was an independent person. No doctors for me.

"I knew it. Then I'm at least going to have to get you bandaged up." Amu walked off, with a purposeful air about her. Amu's Shugo Chara cast me various glances, some wary, some pitiful. They flew after Amu, leaving me alone with Yoru.

"Hey, Ikuto..." Yoru began, shuffling his paws.

"What?!" I half-snapped, fed up with sympathy and pity.

"I'm your Shugo Chara, I know what you dislike. I wasn't gonna pity you!" Yoru smiled. The little guy sure could be mature if he wanted to.

"Yeah, I know, Yoru." I murmured, feeling guilty. I pulled the magazine out of my pant leg, wondering why I hadn't done so earlier, and read the sticky note from Utau's manager on the cover.

_Utau,_

_You're on page 23. Its the photo shoot from a month ago, plus an article._

_-Sanjo_

Bored, I flipped to page 23. I gazed at the pictures of my idol/pop star sister, and wondered if I should talk to her before she left. Maybe she hadn't meant not to tell me she was leaving, maybe she was going to tell me later.

Skimming the article, I caught lines like 'famous singer Utau Hoshina' ,'beautiful, talented, and kind', 'top of the charts in Japan'...they knew so little about my younger sister. Her last name wasn't even Hoshina-it was a stage name.

How she had been brought to fame by the Easter company, who, unknown to her millions of fans, had been using her talents for Easter. She had been doing it all for me, trying to keep me safe. I smiled briefly, remembering Amu's claim of her devotion...to me.

When she had finally started fresh, Easter made it hard for her to get concerts and an audience. But she had persevered until she had climbed back to the top, all because of her and Sanjo's hard work.

No one knew her biggest secret, that all of us Character Bearers shared-Shugo Chara. Iru and Eru, the devil and angel, always there to cheer Utau on.

I really should talk to her, congratulate her for once. For a brother and sister, we led completely different lives.

Reading the end of the article, I glanced at something that made my heart nearly stop. I backtracked, and read it again.

_Utau left on Sunday morning for a world-wide tour with a select group of people. _

Sunday morning.

It had been Sunday evening when Amu and I had been transported to the Fairy Tail world.

She had left.

When I was there.

Without telling me.

It was like the world had crashed down around me all over again, and my immense grief welled up inside of me before surging into anger.

I stood up, forgetting my ankle until the pain exploded upon standing ad I crashed onto the ground, even more shocked than before.

In the split second I was standing I had seen something I thought impossible, for the third time today.

Amu, transformed and attempting to stop a mob of people from attacking each other.

In one chilling realization, I made the connection.

Attacking.

Jerky movements.

Weapons from ordinary objects.

It was exactly the same as the attack from my father.

Now, I could hear faint echoes of the yelling. I yearned to help Amu, but my ankle chained me to the spot.

Never before in my life had I felt so helpless.

I listened intently, praying that the situation would turn out alright, because if something happened and I could have stopped it, then I would never be able to forgive myself.

Yoru mumbled, "Ikuto, their fighting-ny-"

"You think I don't know that?!" I cried. "I'm stuck here, if you haven't noticed!"

"I know." Yoru hovered around me, reluctant to leave my side.

Seconds stretched into minutes that seemed to span an eternity. I sat, waiting, listening.

Panting and footsteps preceded Amu's arrival. I sighed, relieved that she was, well, kind of okay.

"Amu, I saw-"

"They went crazy like your father!" Amu gasped frantically. She slumped onto the grass, exhausted. "We can't solve this by ourselves. It would take to long to get the other Guardians-they're so far away. What do we do?"

Despite the situation, I felt a spark of jealousy. Who says her Guardian friends could solve the problem, anyway? Immediately ashamed of my thoughts, I set my mind to finding a solution to the problem.

Miki was the one to come up with an idea. "Fairy Tail!" She yelled triumphantly.

"They can help us, they know about stuff like this!" cheered Ran.

Su and Dia high-fived enthusiastically.

Yoru frowned. But, how would we get there-nya?"

There was only one option. "We'll just have to try and teleport ourselves there." I announced.

Silence echoed in the park as we concentrated as hard as we could. Almost as soon as my mind touched upon Fairy Tail, the air began to crackle. It was happening.

My body was just not there, for one nanosecond, and then I was staring at the familiar faces of Natsu, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Lucy, and those two cats, Happy and Carla.

Amu gazed up at them, her fear finally reaching the breaking point. "You have to help us!" she panted.

It was all I could do to stay upright with that ankle with mine, but somehow I managed to stammer those few fateful words.

"The dark energy is taking over our world."

(end of flashback)

* * *

**Sky: Okay guys update is once every two days now. I'd ramble some more, but my mom is making me go to bed now.**

**Natsu: But it's only 8:55 pm!**

**Erza: That is an outrageously early bedtime.**

**Sky: Well, gotta do spell-check and leave ASAP! And I'll post this chapter tomorrow morning!**

**Gray: That's an odd goodbye.**

**Wendy: Just leave it, Gray-san. We'll do the goodbye.**

**Everyone but Sky: BYE!**


	7. A Very Upsetting Battle At The Park

**Chapter 7**

** Last time, a flashback explained what happened that caused Ikuto and Amu to return to Fairy Tail. Many people, including Ikuto's father, have been wildly attempting to attack people. Their world is now in danger.**

**Sky: Yua-hime, thanks again for another great review! It's okay if it's not long. :) The Guardians do have roles, but they're mentioned mostly in passing. If I added them to the current group it would be way too many people, you know? There'd be too may P.O.V changes and no time for backstories. Sorry! Hope you keep reading!**

**Lucy: You don't actually care about any of us, do you?**

**Sky: Well, it really depends on my mood. But yeah, just be warned that a lot of bad stuff is gonna happen to you guys. Like I kept traumatizing Ikuto last chapter.**

**Erza: We poor characters, subject to everything the authors throw upon us...**

**Natsu: It's not THAT bad...**

**Sky: Just you wait, Natsu!**

* * *

(Note: When he explained to the FT characters, Ikuto skipped the part about his father attempting to kill him and Utau having left.)

Erza's P.O.V

Ikuto finished explaining as Wendy sent her healing light in gentle waves across his foot. He seemed distracted, somehow, like there was more to tell.

"Anything else?" I asked him in an effort to goad some information out of him.

"No." Ikuto answered firmly. But he kept fingering his throat, where I noticed a small cut etched into his skin, and his palms, which were cut pretty deep.

My eyes widened.

Lucy gasped. "Ikuto, those cuts..."

The blue-haired teen's hands clenched upon his lap.

Gray nearly yelled, "Did someone try to kill you?!"

"Amu-chan, is it..."Wendy looked at her kind-of friend.

"Never mind that. Don't mess with other people's personal business." Amu snapped harshly. Wendy recoiled, looking as though she had seen a ghost.

If Amu was that mad about it, we better leave the subject alone.

"So, do we have to go to your world?" Natsu punched a hand into his palm, oblivious to the tense situation around him.

"Yeah." Ikuto stood up. "Thanks for helping us, anyway. And...do you think you could avoid...you know, hurting anyone too bad."

That pretty much settled it. Someone Ikuto knew well was one of those attacking people.

But now, it was time for me to take charge. No one knew what to do, and I was always the one who was the leader.

"Lucy, how do we go into the world of a 'spirit'?" I addressed my blonde friend.

"Well, Ikuto and Amu have to do it. They, well, a spirit is supposed to use their magic, but I don't know how..."Lucy trailed off.

"Well..." began Amu slowly, "The Shugo Chara could take us!"

Ikuto nodded, but didn't say anything. However, the Shugo Chara had a lot to say.

"How are we supposed to transport you people across worlds?!"

"We know as much as you do-nya!"

"What are we, teleportation devices?!"

"You really shouldn't rely on us-desu!"

"We are would-be selves, and we technically are not magic."

Amu pleaded and begged with her Shugo Chara, who finally relented.

"But what exactly are we supposed to do?" asked the pink-themed cheerleader.

"Just, like, I don't know, do stuff!" spluttered Amu.

The calm orange Shugo Chara murmured, "Release your radiance upon the entire world." in an intense voice that honestly made me want to burst out laughing.

"What the heck is THAT supposed to mean?!" everyone yelled at her.

They tried everything-flying around in circles, throwing magical sketchbooks, pom-poms, whisks, and mics at us (which was really kind of stupid), everything.

But it was the Charcter Transformations that worked. Seriously, they solve any problem.

Ikuto stood tall and imposing in a navy blue top with a cross and tight blue pants,cat ears on his head. Two red and blue streamers hung like twin capes from his back, and glittering upon his right hand were razor-sharp cat's claws.

"Character Transformation: Black Lynx!"

He did resemble a lynx, mysterious and dark with a grim purpose set inside of him.

Meanwhile, Amu had become taller, or was it just the air of confidence around her? She wore a short pink top and a pleated mini skirt, with leggings and glowing roller skates with wings at the tips.

"Character Transformation: Amulet Heart!"

It was like their Shugo Chara had rid the despair from them, filling them with determination and purpose.

"Let's go, guys!" cheered Amu.

Ikuto held his gleaming claws in the air. A pink rod with jeweled hearts at the tips shimmered into Amu's hand, and she touched it to the claws.

A blinding white light filled the air, and in a flash I remembered traveling to the Celestial Spirit World.

But this place was nothing like the purple, star-filled world of the Spirits.

It was a normal town, and we were in a grassy park with a stone pavilion in the center. A crystalline pond rippled at the far side, ducks flocking into the sky at our arrival. Sakura trees, not in bloom but still beautiful, waved gently in the breeze. Heavy gray clouds preceded forthcoming rain. The only thing that broke the quiet were faint screams and yells from another part of the park.

"That's them." Amu pointed in the direction of the screams.

Lucy pulled out her River of Stars whip, looking graver than I had ever seen her before. She was the first one to enter the scene of the battle.

What was wrong with Lucy? She was usually reluctant to battle, preferring to use her barsins than brawn.

All thoughts of Lucy were driven from my mind as I surveyed the battle in one instant.

Adults and children, men and women, people of all kinds were battling with all kinds of almost unimaginable weapons.

One teenager was wielding a spade-like spear that slightly resembled a shovel. A young boy was hurling small disks obviously derived from cards in all directions.

I looked for the strongest, ready to jump into the fray.

One man was dominating the fighting, and for one split second I thought it was Ikuto.

But this man was older, with long bangs that tumbled over his left eye, and he was brandishing a sword that somehow reminded me of a violin bow.

Violin.

Ikuto.

The cut on his throat-from a sword.

Not hurting anyone.

This man was Ikuto's father, who had attempted to kill him.

I would take him on.

Without even requipping into magic armor, I charged forward. He sparred my slice and thrust the sword out of my (loose) grip in one well-timed motion.

Gritting my teeth, I tried again, this time using more force. I was afraid to go full power, because I could potentially maim this guy forever.

So I stayed in normal armor and struck.

He sliced his sword, and an echo of his slice, replicated in darkness, flew at me.

I thrust myself into the air, in the time that I was airborne I made a decision.

"Requip!"

With the vast quantities of armors at my fingertips, I focused on the one that I wished to use.

Dipping my hands into the dimension of my armor, my hands rippled through the air and glowed with light. The leathery orange and white armor filled me with energy.

"Morning Star Armor!"

Ikuto's father leapt at me, faking his slice-a novice trick. I swerved, avoiding him and preparing to attack with my double swords.

Before I could attack, he charged. I crossed my swords to make a shield, using all my strength to keep the dark energy from breaking through.

All of my magic crackled in my swords two electric blue and gold masses of swirling energy.

"Electric Jupiter..."

Clashing my swords together at the tips, I combined their energy into one sparking, massive ball.

Channel.

Aim.

"Starlight Rush!"

In a rush of blinding electricity, I sent Electric Jupiter soaring towards Ikuto's father. He struck his sword into the inferno of magic, absorbing the sheer power.

But he did not know the true boundaries of this magic.

With a resounding boom, the dark sword exploded violently. My opponent was blasted backwards and I leapt at him, pressing him to the ground with the flat edge of one sword. With the other, I jabbed the hilt into his stomach.

It was an instant knockout. Already weakened by Electric Jupiter: Starlight Rush, it had been an easy task to defeat Ikuto's father without permanently harming him.

I shimmered back into my normal armor. That had been much more difficult than I had expected. If I had this much trouble, what were the others doing?

"Ice Make Prison!" Gray expertly trapped a dozen or so people into an ice prison. The banged with their weapons against the bars, breaking free.

But the distraction had been enough for Gray to create a volley of weapons at his command.

"Ice Make..."

"Cannon!" The ice cannon thrust a heavy ice cannonball into the fray, but his opponents shattered it into pieces.

"Spear!" This took out a couple of people. An ice spear from that distance wasn't enough to harm a person, but it could knock them out.

"Cold Excalibur!" The intimidating sword knocked out everyone it came into contact with.

"Nice going, Gray!" I grinned at the ice wizard, and he smirked. I believe he and Natsu have a contest about how many times I do something nice to them or something...

"Talons of the Sky Dragon!" Wendy had her hands full with at least twenty people, all slashing and stabbing and throwing their weapons. I ran towards her, determined to help her out.

I requipped into Flight Armor, but the park was huge and Wendy was quite far away. Even with the superfast powers of the Flight Armor, I would be too late unless Wendy pulled off something incredible.

A flash of white and deep blue in the air caught my eye. It was Carla, soaring in the sky with Wendy!

"Wendy, now!" the cat ordered her Sky Dragon Slayer friend.

"Roar of the SKY DRAGON!" A tornado of wind caught the dark-energy people full on, and I pushed my speed to breaking point.

The people rose once more. Oh, why did the smallest wizard have to be faced with the hardest opponents?

Still airborne, Wendy stretched out her arms, palms up.

That stance? There was no need to worry anymore.

A barrier of wind trapped the enemies in a raging storm of magic.

Wendy swung her arms until one was directly facing the dark-energy people and the other was behind her.

"Shattering Light: Sky Drill!"

A channel of wind hit directly upon the opponents. They were all knocked out.

Size is no guarantee of power, Wendy.

Ikuto was leaping and flying with feline agility. his claws served as his attack, he shot echoes of magic like his father-another similarity between the two.

Amu's magic wasn't suited for attack-she was paralyzing her opponents with that rod of hers, and using it like a boomerang, but it wouldn't knock people out. Nonetheless, it had the same effect so why worry?

Natsu, Happy, and Lucy worked side by side, the three team members who were never separated.

"Dazzling Blaze of the Fire Dragon!" Natsu unleashed his sheer destructive power on the enemies.

"Open, Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius!"

"How may I help, hello?" The man in a horse costume readied an arrow.

"Strike at those people!" Lucy pointed, and Sagittarius shot.

"Now, Natsu!"

Natsu sent fire blazing onto the arrow. It exploded once it found its mark, but there were always more enemies to fight.

Fairy Tail will always be alright.

I marveled at Lucy's improved skill. She was so much stronger and faster than the eager Celestial Spirit Wizard who had joined our guild so long ago.

"Open, Gate of the Twins! Gemini!"

The two blue creatures, Gemi and Mini appeared by Lucy's side.

"Transform into me!" ordered Lucy.

"Got it!" Gemi gave Lucy a thumbs up.

Mini asked, "We're doing _that _one, Lucy?"

"Yup!"

Gemini transformed into Lucy. They stood arm's length apart, palms together.

I gasped. She wasn't strong enough! If this failed, then Lucy was doomed.

Lucy's P.O.V

As soon as my hand touched my double's, I felt the power course through me. I didn't have enough power to do this alone, and when Gemini was transformed as me my magic was doubled.

I had been training since the Grand Magic Games. Using this had exhausted me back then, but now...who knows?

"Sound out the heavens, open the heavens..."

The ultimate magic of the stars.

"Stars across the universe, show yourselves to me with all your brilliance!"

Angel and Flare. Only two people had been victims to the wrath of this spell before.

"Tetrabiblos, I am the ruler of the stars."

These people were suffering, and I must find a way to end their pain, return them to normal.

"My aspect is perfection."

When I had nearly been taken over by the dark energy, I had seen raw X energy. It was agony.

"Open thy savage gate!"

Broken dreams. Pain. Lost hope.

"88 stars of the heavens..."

We could fix all that, save these people.

"Open!"

Their sadness drove me forward.

Power. The power of Fairy Tail, the power of friends, the power of family.

The sky filled with stars, and the ultimate magic of the stars shone.

I am Lucy Heartfilia. I am a part of Fairy Tail.

And I will rid you of your sadness, no matter how long it takes!

"Urano Metria!"

Golden shooting stars shot down from the sky, crisscrossing in a blinding explosion of magic.

Gemini and I were the rulers of the stars.

Panting, I nearly staggered, no longer chanting the spell.

A jagged crater had appeared where I struck the spell, and it had knocked out almost all our opponents.

"Thank you, Gemini." I whispered to the Spirits as Gemi and Mini left.

I was able to stand! When I had used this before, I would faint right after using the spell.

But here I was, standing up.

No magic left, but still standing.

"Lucy..." Natsu was staring at the crater in the ground, shocked.

"What? You're more destructive than that!" I laughed shakily.

"That's not it." Happy gazed at me. "That was really scary. That wasn't you, Lucy..."

I knelt down to Happy's eye level.

"I may look frightening, or in a trance, or oblivious to you guys. But the truth is I'm always with you!" I high-fived the cat's blue paw.

The rain fell gently upon us, and I sat, comfortable in the mud.

"Thank you, Fairy Tail." I murmured, gazing up at the sky.

Reflecting once more on the day I had nearly been taken over by Amu's sickness, I recalled the pain that had gripped a tight hold on me.

_"Do not bother me!"_

_"Um, but, today is..."_

_"Go to your room!"_

_Sadness._

_Tears._

_"...my birthday..."_

_I had always hated my father._

_"What I want isn't money, pretty dresses, or fortune forced upon me."_

_"I'm not Lucky Lucy of Heartfilia anymore! Fairy Tail recognizes me as just Lucy and my other family, it's a far more loving family than this!"_

_Arguments._

_Hate._

_Anger._

_"I'm sorry, but...Jude Heartfilia passed away one month ago."_

_Remorse._

_Forgiveness._

_Hidden love._

All of my sadness, what caused me to cry, had dominated me that day. When Amu had lifted the darkness from me, I saw the world in a different light.

All of us hold pain.

But if you focus on the happiness, then it will all be okay.

"LUCY!"

Natsu's cry of warning hit my ears too late.

I was frozen with fear as he jumped in front of me, his fist of fire failing to block the deathly sharp spear.

My breath caught in my throat as the spear erupted from Natsu's back.

No.

This could not be happening.

I succumbed to the pain, because my life was as good as over.

The spearhead hit my chest, and as my thumping heart ceased its wild beating I thought,

_Dying doesn't hurt much at all._

* * *

**Erza: What...? You actually...**

**Gray: I didn't think you would go this far!**

**Wendy: Lucy-san, Natsu, san, Happy...?**

**Carla: Seriously! The story doesn't have to be THAT dramatic!**

**Amu: Now I'm really scared of you, Sky.**

**Sky: There are some clarifications I have to make about Chapter 6. Ikuto receives his college acceptance letters a full year after he graduated, which is not right. If anyone can think of a factually correct alternative, please tell me. **


	8. Don't Be Fooled By The Word 'Paradise'

**Chapter 8**

**Last time, the gang headed over to the Shugo Chara world. They fought fierce battles to save the people possessed by dark energy, but they paid the ulimate price-Lucy, Natsu, and Happy.**

**Everyone: ... *gloomy***

**Sky: I'm sure you don't want to listen to the characters mope all day, so... **

**PRESENTING CHAPTER EIGHT!**

* * *

Gray's P.O.V

Were they dead...?

Natsu, Lucy, and Happy.

Lucy had been lying on the ground, exhausted.

Unable to defend herself.

A shadowy opponent with a spear came at her, crackling with dark power.

Natsu had blocked the attack.

Happy was at Lucy's side.

And then-

The fire had failed to stop the spear.

I should've, could've, done something, but it was too late.

For Natsu, it was already over.

At this point I was running, so that I was mere feet away from Lucy when the spear hit her chest.

I could have saved her!

But it had gone through Lucy, glancing over Happy's wing before coming to a halt.

Never in my life will I forget Natsu's determined face as he prepared to save his friend...

And Lucy, horror etched on her face as the spear neared her, because to her, if she had seen Natsu, then it was over.

They had been the closest of friends.

Natsu was the one who helped her join her dream guild, Fairy Tail. He came with Lucy on her first job, which ultimately failed-but it had established the partnership.

Always together.

I had joined, along with Erza, and now we were a team.

I had hated Natsu.

Detested him.

We fought at any possible opportunity, always determined to best each other.

Lucy-she was new, kind, not so strong. But her spunk and courage were another story.

Over the months, we had grown so closely knit that without one, the rest of us were off. We had taken on countless jobs, and some missions that saved Fairy Tail, and sometimes the world.

Natsu had always been there to save the day.

No matter how difficult the feat was, how accomplished the enemy was, he would always stand back up.

To protect his friends.

And this one time, the one time he had failed, it had cost them both so dearly.

Lucy depended on Natsu, even if she didn't know it. Somehow she believed that no matter how many times they risked their lives, they would always return to Fairy Tail.

Raising my head to the pouring rain, I skidded to a halt by their sides and let the tears fall.

But-

If they were dead, why were they shimmering?

Memories of Lisanna flashed through my mind.

She had been transported to the alternate world Edolas in a situation like this.

But the doorway there was closed!

So why...

"Natsu... Lucy..." My voice broke as their bodies disappeared, dissolving into the rain.

"Gray!" Erza was suddenly by my side, and I didn't know how to tell her.

"Where are...Natsu and Lucy? And Happy as well..."

Pain...

This was so much worse than facing opponents. Beat 'em up and you're done.

This time, though...

"They're gone, Erza. They're gone."

"What...? Gray, seriously, don't-don't joke, you're kidding, right?"

Erza's brown eyes searched my face desperately, and suddenly she buried her face in her hands, tears mingling with the rain.

The armor around her heart had finally shattered, leaving only the countless losses and sadness she had endured all of her life.

Carla dropped Wendy in the soggy mud, where she wordlessly asked the question.

We were all here, the team that had gone through so much together.

Except Natsu, and Lucy, and Happy.

We were no longer together.

"You idiots...you went and left us all alone, Natsu, Lucy, Happy..."

"No...Gray-san, why?" Wendy fell to her knees, shaking uncontrollably.

Looking up through the mist, I saw the hazy outlines of Ikuto and Amu, shocked at what had happened, but afraid to come any closer.

I was fine that way.

Erza picked up the spear that had finished them, handling it very carefully. I watched intently as Erza's face morphed from sadness to disbelief, shock, and... was that a glimmer of hope?

"There's no blood on this spear."

I gasped. The silver spear was new and shiny like it had never taken lives before.

"Amu-chan! Ikuto-san!" Wendy called suddenly, a stroke of inspiration evident on her face.

"Wendy, why-" Carla was cut off by a frowning Erza.

"Amu and Ikuto can figure out if Lucy, Natsu, and Happy are alive-if they are together, that is."

"H-how?" Amu stared up at the sky, as if the lost three would be waving down at them.

I caught on to the plan. "You people are technically Spirits. You are linked to Lucy as long as she has your keys."

Ikuto nodded. "We'll help Lucy out."

"Ya think you have a choice?" I muttered, and I swore I saw Ikuto smirk.

"Wait!" called Carla, just as Ikuto and Amu prepared to trace Lucy. "What about...the wielder of this spear?

Erza glanced at Ikuto. "Wasn't that guy we were fighting before with a spear? A silver spear?"

Ikuto jumped to his feet. "He went towards Lucy and Natsu...and we said..."

"They can handle him." Erza's face was white as a sheet.

"What's done is done." I announced, knowing that neither one would accept soppy simpers of 'It's okay' and not your fault'. (Even though it wasn't their fault.) "We have to make sure the attacker doesn't get away, because he is probably the most dangerous one among these dark people."

"A-Amu, Ikuto, you track L-Lucy while we go after the spearholder." Erza attempted to regain her demanding tone, but it was no use. Nonetheless, they vanished without a word.

"Right. So..." began Wendy.

And we began to search.

Wendy was the one who found the hooded, shadowy man, lying weaponless among the pile of enemies I had knocked out with Cold Excalibur. Wendy claimed that the spear's 'magic matched with this person's', and it was true. Both were more dark, more menacing, than anything we had faced so far.

I motioned for the others to arrive.

Carla spread her wings, prepared to take flight.

Erza drew her sword.

Wendy held two miniature tornadoes in her hands.

I readied an Ice Spear.

"WAAAAAIT!" Amu totally broke the tension by falling on top of me-literally.

"They're alive. But in this weird courtyard thingy, and they were near a fountain with a guy in a suit. We only saw them for a second, because it was like an invisible wall surrounded the place and rebounded us back here. I'm almost sure they saw us, though." Ikuto said in one breath.

They were okay. It was like I had escaped a prison slowly squeezing me to death.

"So...they're trapped?" Wendy questioned anxiously.

Amu nodded.

"We have to deal with this guy first." Strengthened by the news of Lucy's, Natsu's and Happy's survival, Erza's commanding orders had resumed.

Slowly, she drew the hood off the man's face.

The face was pale, and untidy jet-black hair curved lightly around his face. Under his hooded cape was a black-and-tan robe with a white toga pulled across. A necklace with a circular, silver pendant rested upon his neck.

It was like I was now incapable of speaking or movement.

Lying in front of us, defeated, was the greatest Dark Wizard in all of history.

The one who had created Deliora-the monster that destroyed my hometown.

The reason my family was dead.

The person who caused my beloved teacher Ul was part of the ocean instead of alive and smiling like she should be.

"Zeref...?"

Lucy's P.O.V (starting at the same time as Gray's P.O.V at the beginning of this chapter)

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I thought was,

Wait, I can open my eyes?

Even if I wasn't dead, though, I had a much more pressing problem on my mind.

"Natsu. Get. Your. Butt. Off. My. FACE!"

I kicked the clumsy Dragon Slayer into the air, nimbly dodging in order to avoid another butt-face collision.

"Lucy?" Natsu plopped onto the ground-if you could call it ground, that is. "Wait-we're alive?!"

"I dunno, Natsu." I checked myself over. "Apparently we weren't physically hurt by that spear, it just..."

"...Transported us here!" Happy grinned goofily.

"Wait, Happy? You were touched by that spear too?" Natsu examined his cat.

"Yeah, my wing."

Standing up and dusting myself off, I gazed around at our surroundings.

"Where are we, anyway?"

We stood in a stone circular courtyard. The whole place was veiled in mist, giving the feeling of no solidity. I could barely make out a silver and white building reminiscent of a church and a fountain of water so clear it was nearly white. Around the courtyard and at a lower height, there was a much larger circle of land split into four pieces.

Directly ahead of us was a sea of color. Trees burst with leaves and flowers seemed to line every path. Birds chirped endlessly, and animals scurried here and there. The houses were villas, with beautiful open porches and vast gardens. The sun shone brightly, and a warm breeze wafted towards us.

To the right, the atmosphere was more subdued, with fewer birds and animals. The trees had much fewer leaves, some were even bare. The flowers were mellower in color and fading, and this time the wind was crisp and chilly.

Little cottages made the houses here, with small, cozy lawns and gardens.

Turning around, we saw snow-covered treetops and piles of powdery white settling in drifts around the landscape. Cozy brick cottages, with smoke wafting out of the chimneys, seemed warm and inviting. The occasional animal scurried through the snow before cuddling up in a tree hollow or burrow. The wind was cold and bitter.

Facing our left now, rain fell lightly upon budding trees and an array of growing plants. The air was fresh and cool, rain cleansing the land. I watched the water run down in little rivulets, my eyes catching on to the moderately sized houses with small but pleasing gardens. A couple of birds sang in high, clear, voices, and small animals busily hurried to and fro.

Further out were rugged mountains and crystalline lakes, winding rivers and rolling plains. They slowly gave way to menacing, barren landscape at the horizon.

"What is this place?" I couldn't take my eyes off the breathtaking scenery.

"Well, only one way to find out. EXPLORE!" Natsu sped away at top speed, Happy close behind.

"Wait, Natsu, Happy!" Seriously, those guys...

I chased them through the stone pathways, winding my way along until I found them.

Natsu had stopped at the fountain in the center of the courtyard. The water sprayed high and clear out of an ornate stone basin, light reflecting off the droplets and casting patterns in the air.

Those weren't patterns.

We watched, entranced, as the light shimmered into the faces of those we knew so well.

Gray was staring at the ground desperately, fingers knotted among the rain-soaked grass. Erza shook with tears, her intimidating presence deserting her to reveal the fragile young woman she was. Wendy was curled up in a ball, traumatized and sobbing. Carla's tail swished desolately, lightly tracing its way upon the ground.

Our team.

Our friends.

Alone.

Without us.

"Even Gray..." Natsu watched a single teardrop of his rival's mix with the rain. His hands clenched on the basin with so much pressure it nearly disintegrated. I couldn't take my eyes off them, and I wanted to call out to them that we were okay, just lost, and we could come back.

"Hello there! I see you've found our Crystal fountain. Shows who you want to see the most." A perky man with scraggly brown hair and a white suit strolled up to us. "Oh, yes, I'm in charge of the newbies here, which you guys seem to be. Please call me Mr. Director." he continued, fiddling with a button on his jacket.

"Where...where are we?" I stammered.

"This is Paradise! People who are about to die of noble causes and are completely pure are transported here before they die to enjoy a peaceful existence for eternity."

So we really were alive, huh.

"But how are you supposed to be dead, Happy? You only got hit in the wing!" Natsu tilted his head to one side, examining the cat.

"Well, my wings are the source of my magic. Without magic, wizards die. So..."

"Mmm, yes, very likely. Now, if you would take a look out there, we have several homes and communities to choose from. You can go to other places, seeing as you'll be here forever..." Mr. Director smiled nervously, seeing Natsu's face tense in anger.

Forever. It finally struck me that he meant for us never to see our friends again.

"Never mind that, how do we get out of here!" Natsu yelled. Even if he was desperate, I had to say his manners needed a little work.

"Who would want to leave here?" Mr. Director looked bemused. "This is a perfect world! And besides, there are countless dangers past these lands that you have to pass if you wanted to go back to where you came from. More specifically, the Forbidden." He suddenly sounded much more menacing, and I could tell that it was an unspoken rule that we had to stay here, in Paradise.

"Natsu, calm down." I spoke calmly, shuffling my shoe against the ground. "Why don't we choose somewhere to live."

"That's my girl!" Mr. Director handed me a map scribbled on with names. "Now choose the one you want."

I narrowed my eyes. Every move I made was essential to the success of our plan. I wasn't spied on by Gray and Loke for answers to a riddle for nothing!

"That one, please." I pointed at an empty box at the very tip of the map, signing mine, Natsu's and Happy's names.

"Alright then! You are free to explore or meet other people. Please see me right here if you have any questions, and I hope you have a nice life." Mr. Director bowed and left.

"Let's go, Natsu." I chirped cheerily.

"Lucy! What do you think you're doing?! Have you forgotten Erza and Gray and Wendy and Carla and everyone else?!" Natsu blocked my way. I pushed him aside, striding towards our designated house in the distance. Mr. Director might still be around. I couldn't risk it.

"Happy, are you coming?" I asked deliberately. We needed to hurry.

"Y-yes, coming!" Happy prepared to fly, but no wings appeared. "Huh?"

"Wait a second." It couldn't work if what I thought was happening was true. Natsu punched with fire...except there was no fire. it just looked like he was doing a bad circus routine.

"Ah, I forgot." Mr. Director had been lurking around, the sneak. "You must come from one of those magical worlds. Paradise is magic-resistant."

Suddenly, a tingle shot through me, and my keys-Amu's and Ikuto's keys, to be precise- burned red-hot against my skin.

And then I was staring at their shocked faces, trying to trace me but flying backwards with such force that they disappeared in seconds.

"Oh, that would be the Repelling. It stops other beings from tracking you magically." Mr. Director smiled, and I felt like punching his self-satisfied face.

"That's fine, we don't need magic here, right?" The look on Mr. Director's face told me that was exactly what he had wanted to hear. I literally dragged Natsu and Happy off the courtyard.

We passed through the winding pathways, which greeted us with an array of colors that only incensed me further. I couldn't believe that so many things were forbidden here. It was...not a paradise at all.

"Lucy, what are you doing?!" Natsu snarled. I wished that could make myself oblivious to his rage, but it was impossible to ignore the dragon's fury.

"You guys." I broke into a run, only aware of my feet pounding across the stone as we skidded to a halt at the very edge of the glowing, colorful, land, where our supposed house lay.

Grimly facing the barren and foreboding landscape ahead of us, I took a single step forward.

I was standing in the Forbidden.

"Natsu..." A ghost of a smile flitted across my face. "Do you really think I would abandon my friends? We're bustin' outta here."

Happy grinned and realization dawned on Natsu's face, the plan suddenly clicking in his dense brain.

"Okay! I'm all fired up!"

* * *

**Gray: Wait, so you didn't actually kill them?!**

**Sky: I'm not morbid!**

**Lucy: Sorry, guys. We had to stay hidden for these little 'talk sessions' cause you needed to think we were dead.**

**Erza: You're so cruel!**

**Sky: That I am. **


	9. Utau Really Is a Jerk--Right?

C**hapter 9**

**Last time, the Fairy Tail members were shocked that the man that nearly killed Natsu, Lucy, and Happy was the black wizard Zeref. Meanwhile, those three begin a struggle to escape Paradise to return home.**

**Sky: Okay, so I'd like to change something. I said that this story takes place two years after Shugo Chara ended, but I'm changing it to one year. So it would be the very beginning of the school year for Amu because Shugo Chara concludes with summer vacation.**

**Gray: You think you have the nerve to do whatever you want with us, even though you're smaller and weaker than Wendy!**

**Wendy: Is that an insult, Gray-san?**

**Gray: Wha? No, not at all! Totally not! I mean, why in the world would I be implying that you're small and weak? Heh heh...**

**Natsu: Why're you denying it so fiercely?**

**Gray: Because the last time I insulted Wendy... *shudders***

**Amu: What? What happened?!**

**Gray: Erza happened.**

* * *

Ikuto's P.O.V

All of the Fairy Tail members sat around staring at that hooded guy. I didn't get it at all, he was just some good-looking teenager. So why were they acting like they had all been gagged?

I voiced my thoughts to them. "What's up? Why're you acting like that guy is, like, the world's worst human or something.

Erza looked me straight in the eye. "He is the world's worst human. Well, our world's, at least."

"Seriously? Then why is he all...defeated?"

Gray ran a hand through his tousled hair. "That's what we'd like to know. This man, Zeref, been known to singlehandedly kill thousands, so why did he fail to eliminate us?"

I glanced at Amu, who was staring at Zeref intently. Finally, she announced, "I've met this guy."

Carla choked on air. "What?!"

"This just keeps getting more complicated." Erza shook her head. "Explain away. Amu."

Amu raised her head to the sky, recalling her meeting with this mixed-up teenager.

Amu's P.O.V Flashback (It's third person and happens about four months ago, before Ikuto had returned.)

_Amu strolled along the road, away from the downtown bustle and into the town gardens that were topped with light snow. She spoke animatedly with her four Shugo Chara, and didn't notice the stranger until she was only a few feet away._

_She observed his strange appearance, with his black coat and white toga. He was looking completely serene, yet there was something in his searching expression that sent unease creeping around her heart._

_"Young lady?" The strange man addressed her with a kind of authority, and Amu wondered whether he was a rich snob from another area. Nonetheless, she answered his call._

_"Yes?"_

_The strange man appraised her small, bright figure. "Do you happen to know...where Aruto Tsukiyomi lives?"_

_Amu jumped, having heard the familiar sound of Ikuto's last name. Aruto also just so happened to be Ikuto's father, who..._

_"U-um, I believe he's traveling. Worldwide." There was no need to tell this man that Aruto disappeared off the face of the earth years ago._

_"Oh? The, perhaps, you know the whereabouts of Ikuto Tsukiyomi?"_

_"Ikuto?!" Amu's shocked whisper did not escape the teenager's sharp ears._

_The stranger smirked, toying with a lock of jet-black hair. "So you know Ikuto?"_

_Amu shuffled her boot against the cold ground. "He's also traveling around the world." she muttered, keeping an intent eye on a particularly large snowflake floating its way down onto her gloved palm._

_"Father-son trip, huh?" With a toss of his head, he began to walk off. "Well, of all the times..." The hiss was edged with a hint of malice, and Amu hugged her coat tighter around herself._

_"Wait!" she called, just as her rounded the corner. "Why did you want...Ikuto and his dad?"_

_He barely even acknowledged her. "Old acquaintance. But you're just a little girl, don't get yourself mixed up in other people's private affairs." He strolled away nonchalantly, pausing one last time to steal a glance at Amu, silhouetted in snow, innocent, unknowing._

_Amu nearly gasped, only managing the hold her shock in by clapping her hands over her mouth._

_When he had looked at her, the stranger's eyes had been glowing red._

_End of Flashback_

Ikuto's P.O.V (current time)

"So...there's an evil wizard stalking Ikuto's family to meet his father?" Yoru cocked his head, befuddled

"But he never mentioned a Zeref..." I glanced down at his unconscious figure.

"Well, he left-" Amu stopped abruptly at the command of my glare. Sure, these people were to be trusted, but...maybe I wasn't ready to tell them all of my life secrets yet.

"Left where?" Gray dusted off his jeans, standing up.

"Nothing."

"Look, Ikuto." Erza's tough gaze bore into me. I got the feeling she knew a lot more about me than I had told her. "If this is about Zeref, you need to tell us. And even if it isn't...you don't have to keep everything hidden."

Erza was wise, and strong, and capable. She understood me and wanted to help me out.

Someone I could rely on.

A lump rose in my throat as I thought of all the people I had relied on.

My mother was too weak, too easily bent. To rely on her would be like leaning on an old bridge.

My father had abandoned me when I was young, and even now he had kept secrets of Dark Wizards being his friends. To rely on him would be like placing your trust in a backstabbing fox.

Utau was the one I thought was kind, and good, and needed me. And I needed her, as much as I hated to admit it. But that had all changed after the world tour, and telling Kukai but not me, and leaving me.

All alone.

"Thank you for saying that, Erza, but..." I swallowed and turned away from the prying eyes of other people.

Shielded from other people, closed away, hidden.

Amu's words from the night in Lucy's room echoed over and over again in my mind, making me want to yell out in frustration and fear.

_"...you can't keep secrets for your whole life, can you, Ikuto."_

_ "You idiot, you think you can hide all your sadness and put on a passive face?"_

_"But I do know the price of keeping secrets."_

Secrets had cost Amu a lot before, in that first eventful year when she was in sixth grade and I was in my senior year. It had nearly cost her Tadase's friendship, it had cost her her friends' trust until she earned it back, it had cost her me. Was I doomed to that same fate? It was like the arguing in my head never ended.

My life was going around in circles, a cycle of betrayal and trust.

So Erza's kind word's had really touched my heart, and gently made me accept that trust wasn't a bad thing, and that betrayal wouldn't happen again.

But was it really worth it to trust, if they just turned on you once again...?

"Ikuto!"

I whirled around at the horrified scream of my name, and my breath caught in my throat.

Zeref rose, deliberately and with purpose. Fear swooping down on me, I took an instinctive step backwards.

"I was kind enough to let your little friend explain who I was, Ikuto. You never defeated me. I was simply waiting." A slow, cunning grin spread upon his handsome features.

I was aware of my hard, fast, breathing, so terrified of this man who was only about as old as I was, yet so much more intimidating.

"Where is your father?" hissed Zeref.

"I will never tell you." This man wasn't to be trusted.

And now, my father's life might lie in the words I speak.

"You lie, Ikuto. If only I could exert my powers of upon you, then maybe..." Zeref twisted his fingers longingly, as if magic would spring to them.

"Never, Zeref. You can do all you want, but...I won't tell you." It wouldn't be long before my cover was blown, and this (slightly stupid) wizard would realize that my father was knocked out merely twenty feet away.

"What if..." Zeref mock pondered, stroking his chin. "What if I kill you?" he asked nonchalantly, as if he was asking if he could look at the news.

Erza nodded, and I smiled.

"Fine then. Kill me." I was almost as though I wasn't speaking the words. but at the same time I was conscious of my lips moving to articulate every sound. I buried my fear in fake confidence, ignored Amu's yells of rage behind me.

"Are you crazy, Ikuto?! I'm not gonna let you-" Erza caught the struggling child in her firm grip, and whispered something in her ear. She slowly became more audible.

"...let him do what he wants to do."

"Thank you, Erza." whispered Yoru with a catlike grin.

"How can you just stand by, Erza?! You yourself said that you don't die for your friends! YOU LIVE FOR THEM!" Gray screamed at his friend. Erza's face registered momentary remorse before resuming determination, and I wondered when Erza had made this exact same choice.

If Gray wasn't so annoying, then maybe I might've been friends with him.

"Stop it, Gray!" Erza commanded as he grabbed onto her arm. Furiously, she attempted to shake him off while restraining Amu.

"W-what are you d-doing, Erza-san...?" Even shy Wendy protested.

"Don't, Erza!" Carla, the white cat, tried to reason with the woman at least five times her size.

"Your little friends are so sweet, but unfortunately they will die if they get in my way." Zeref made a stance; arms outstretched, a few fingers on each hand extended. Black, shadowy wind swirled around him malevolently.

"Say goodbye to this world, Ikuto."

I steeled myself.

When Erza made a sudden leap at Yoru and I, we were ready. She requipped just as the magic to kill me rushed forward, and her staff glowed as it stole us away moments before Death claimed me.

What I was not ready for was Gray, yanked along by his arm that had grabbed Erza angrily.

Everything was jumbled, not how it was supposed to be.

Lights popped before my eyes and I felt winds blowing in howling gales, the roar of the sea crashing against rock, the mild air of the beach, and finally the damp, musty smell that of weathered alleys before I came crashing down upon solid ground.

Erza's P.O.V

Dazed, I picked myself up off of the ground before trying to decipher what happened.

I had planned to take Ikuto somewhere safe from Zeref using my new Void Armor, which contained powers to teleport the user and a couple of passengers-a very advanced magic. I had known that I had to do it at the last second...outsmarting Zeref was no piece of cake.

I hadn't counted on Gray grabbing on to me as he had yelled at me, though. I had stumbled and nearly fallen, and only just managed to take Ikuto (and the newest freeloader Gray) to a random spot on this world.

"Where are we, Erza?" Ikuto's shaken voice pierced the silence.

I looked around. We were in a narrow alley, nearly on top of each other.

"I...have absolutely no idea." I sheepishly rubbed my armor.

Gray tried to take in his surroundings. "We could be anywhere in the world!" he moaned, and I was faintly reminded that it was his fault that we were in the middle of nowhere-well, somewhere, but still nowhere we knew of.

"Gray! What did you think you were doing? Grabbing on to me like that?! I get that you thought I was going to let Ikuto sacrifice himself, but I tried to convey to you that I had a plan! Even Amu got it!"

"Erza, it's not-" Ikuto tried to break up the one-sided argument.

"You should be ashamed of yourself! That was one of the stupidest things you've ever done!" I continued yelling.

"Just listen to other people for once! You're not the smartest and strongest guy in the world, even if you act like you are!" I grabbed Gray by his collar and prepared to hit him before realizing that even by my standards, I was going a little overboard.

Abruptly, I dropped Gray and gave a little shake of my head. Ikuto was backed up against the wall, obviously shocked out of his wits.

Poor guy. And just when I'd gained his trust...

"Sorry, guys. I'm just a little upset about-"

Ikuto had suddenly yanked his hood up over his face and turned, shoulders hunched.

What had I done? I reached out a tentative hand to the moody teenager, but his problem lay elsewhere.

Behind me, apparently.

At the sound of a echoing footstep in the alley, I spun on my heel to meet a young teenager, a couple of years younger than Ikuto, staring right at me.

She was extremely pretty, with sharp features and a perfect figure. Her long blond hair twirled in two waist-length ponytails at the sides of her head, but they looked anything but childish. She was poised confidently, as if she always knew what she was doing. Something about her was vaguely familiar, as if she was an old friend who had changed drastically.

And there were two Shugo Chara by her side.

She stood there, surprised but still barely composed, staring at us through the darkness. I quickly tried to make amends for the terrorizing scene she had just witnessed.

"I-you probably think...um, it's not what you think it is...!" I stammered.

But the girl gazed straight past me, to where a certain someone was hidden in the shadows.

"Ikuto...?"

Reluctantly, Ikuto pulled off his hood and faced the blonde girl.

"IKUTO!" The self-composed and calm girl completely transformed, taking a running leap at the taller man.

Then I realized who it was that this girl reminded me of.

Ikuto.

Ikuto held the girl back, tense and clearly upset. "What are you doing, Utau?"

Utau. So that was her name. It was charming, like a lilting melody.

"Ikuto, what do you mean? I'm overjoyed to see you..." The ecstatic expression faded from Utau's face as Ikuto turned away from her, face shadowed.

"Has the fame finally gotten to your head, Utau? Have you forgotten that you're supposed to tell me-your brother- if you leave on a world tour?" Ikuto spoke with bitter accusation, and I could see each syllable shake Ikuto's sister to the core.

"No, I-Ikuto, I though you-I thought you didn't care, I thought you wouldn't...!"

Now Ikuto turned to face her, and even I was terrified by the look on his face.

"Utau. Just because I don't say it doesn't mean I don't care. I say I don't care, but I do. I'm going to be honest with you right here and now." Ikuto's face softened-or did it harden? His face was hard to read.

"You haved no idea...how much that hurt me."

Utau's little gasp filled the silence, and it was like a bridge was breaking between the two.

"Ikuto-"

"I have trusted and been betrayed my entire life, and after Easter was defeated I thought it would finally end. Well, it hasn't, Ut-a-u. The black cat of misfortune is only doomed to endure pain."

Easter...?

"Don't say that!" Utau cried.

Ikuto's voice grew louder. "I will say it! Amu taught me a lot of things, and she knows how much I care! She told me to say my thoughts, and I will! She was convinced that you adored me, but..." Ikuto suddenly trailed off.

"Ikuto, this is going overboard! All I did was-"

"All you did?! You think that it is something small and insignificant, but to me it is the entire world! You are nearly my entire world!" Ikuto stopped abruptly, embarrassed at what he had just said..

"Ikuto." Gray stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I have no clue what's going on right now, but it sounds like this girl Utau has hurt you. But that doesn't mean you should hate her."

"Gray..."

I smiled, thinking of all of my friends and comrades. "You say you have no one to trust, but that will never be the case. Even if someone does a wrong...think of all the love they have given you before."

"Erza..."

It was like Utau had seen us for the first time.

"Who...?" she looked around at both of us.

Ikuto sighed, and the hatred and anger floating away on it was nearly tangible. "Utau, these are Gray and Erza, my... my friends." He gave us a half-smile, a smile of acceptance.

"And..." Ikuto faced Utau. "I'm sorry. For yelling at you. You're my little sister; I should always be there." He gave Utau's shoulder a little squeeze.

Utau shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I hurt you, and will never, ever do it again."

Brother and sister stood across from each other, letting go, and embraced.

Yoru joined the two dazed Shugo Chara of Utau's, giving each a little high-five..

Holding his sister at arm's length, Ikuto asked, "Now, Utau, would you mind telling us what country we're in?"

* * *

**Sky: I'm really happy with this chapter.**

**Ikuto: I just spouted out my feelings for the whole world to see...**

**Erza: Not the whole world. just, uh, all the people who ever happen across this story.**

**Ikuto: *facepalm***

**Lucy: Well, don't ruin you're chapter with a buch of spelling errors!**

**Sky: That's right! Spell check! *rushes off***

**Wendy: Um, Sky-san, the computer's right here...!**

**Amu: Just leave it.**


	10. Midnight Torture

**Chapter 10**

**Last time, Erza saved Ikuto from a murderous Zeref, who has a mysterious connection with Ikuto's family. Gray was towed along and the three meet Ikuto's little sister Utau. The siblings resolve their problems.**

**Sky: I update like a clock, even though only two people review...WHY?! It's not that bad of a story...right?**

**Ikuto: Nyan.**

**Sky: In fact, don't expect spectacular things today because I'm suffering a severe case of writer's block.**

**Erza: She can only pull off decent chapters with me on the scene.**

**Ikuto: Naw, I'm sure it's because I have a tragic backstory to draw off.**

**Varshini: Yeah, pretty much.**

**Erza: Wha-! *gets up***

**Varshini: Maybe I shouldn't have said that.**

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V

"Woah." I stared out at the grim expanse of land before me.

Everything thing seemed to be in dull shades of brown or gray. Gnarled trees and brittle grasses were the only vegetation visible, and it was completely and utterly silent. The land rose into craggy mountains in the distance whose peaks broke the dense gray clouds.

"Well..." Lucy swallowed. "We're gonna have to cross this, so...might as well get started.

"I'M ALL FIRED UP!" I charged forward, waiting for the fire to power me along. But nothing came, and in a flash I remembered.

No magic.

"Lucy, I'm hungry. Can we eat something?" begged Happy plaintively.

"Do you expect me to have brought food along?" snapped Lucy.

"Yes."

I grinned, emptying my backpack. "No worries! I'm always prepared!" Food, packed and crammed in every corner, spilled out.

Lucy stared at me. "Natsu, you crazy doofus. Do you bring food everywhere? I wouldn't be surprised if you brought it to the bathroom" She's so mean, she should have been grateful! So what if I brought olive-and-tomato pizza with me to the men's room?

"Natsu!" Happy and Lucy broke me out of my pizza-themed reverie as they pointed to something frantically.

"MONSTER!" screamed Lucy.

I hadn't thought about this-fighting monsters without magic. Then again, I never really think.

I sent a punch flying at the grotesque greenish creature, at the same time that Lucy slapped it with her sparkly blue-and-gold whip.

It crashed to the ground, K.

"Well, that was easy." announced Happy.

"You didn't even DO anything!" Lucy pocketed her whip and we continued through the gloom.

We filled the empty silence by chatting and arguing, wondering what we were up against and why we had only been challenged by about fifty monsters after six hours.

"Whew. There goes number fifty-one!" Lucy wiped her forehead as she slung her whip back around her waist. I didn't get why she was so tired, anyway. Most of the monsters were super-weak, so we could take them out even without magic. It was lamost like all these monsters were...what was the word? Oh, yes. Prototypes.

"Let's go, Lucy!" I grinned at my exhausted friend.

"Ahasjljasxlmsleeploohaidlsjdtirednmpk" Lucy mumbled, and I took that to mean, "Let's go to bed."

"What's the time, anyway?" Happy asked as we searched for a cave.

Lucy pouted. "I would know, but apparently the Forbidden has no phone connection! Stupid land should have thought of innocent young girls who just want their phone..if only we could call someone..."

My conclusion: Lack of sleep was making Lucy go crazy.

"A fire would be really great right now." I sighed, annoyed at my lack of magic.

We lay lazily in a dark cave, curled up on our bags that we had brought to Ikuto and Amu's world (so they were our only luggage) and bemoaning the cold.

Lucy tossed me something, already half-asleep. "Don't eat 'em all, make a fire." she muttered, as I opened the small paper box.

It was a matchbox, with matches sticking out from all sides. "Yes! Thanks, Lucy."

A soft snore was my only reply.

Using one match to start a fire and the other to make (shh) a bedtime snack, and tucked the box back in Lucy's bag.

I gathered Happy close to me, away from the fire, and watched his furry white chest rise and fall. Being the only one awake left me strangely lonely, and I finally grasped the sheer magnitude of this place.

_How were we ever gonna get out of here?_

Turning on my side, I gazed idly at Lucy's sleeping figure illuminated by the firelight. I was usually a quick sleeper, but tonight it just wouldn't come.

"L..lu..." Lucy murmured in her sleep.

I crawled closer, mischievously listening to what she had to say.

"LUCY KICK!"

And the next thing I knew, an (extremely hard) black boot had connected with my stomach, sending me tumbling out of the cave. Thanks to my enhanced hearing I heard her mumble, "That's what you get for breaking into my house, Natsu!"

Huh. So the kick really was directed at me.

Rubbing my now-sore stomach, I stared up at the hazy full moon. Judging by the moon's position, it must be close to midnight. I traced random designs in the sand, wondering how the others were doing...

Did they still think we were dead? Were they having a funeral right now, with no bodies to bury?

Was Erza okay? It was possible that she would snap if any more of her close friends befell horrible fates.

Wendy...was she guilty for not being able to heal us? If only she knew that we were being stolen away, that I really just wanted to give her tiny hand a high-five again...

And my rival, Gray. What would he do, without me to fight with? Would I ever be be able to call him Ice Princess again? Only now, when he was gone, did I realize how much we really did belong in the same team.

Punching a hole in the ground, I nearly screamed with rage at these messed-up Paradise people who didn't consider it necessary to send us back, reunite us with our friends.

So cruel...

A reverberating boom shook the landscape, startling me out of my wits. I leapt to my feet in a fighting stance, though I knew very well that I had no magic. Something told me that it was exactly midnight, and that this would be very, very, dangerous.

Good. I liked dangerous.

The world began to shake, then tilt precariously, and finally spin around and around like a carnival ride.

Motion sickness. My only weakness.

Swallowing hard and wishing Wendy was here, I held on tight to the spinning ground. It spun until I was sure that I wouldn't be able to take it any longer, screaming in both fear and pain, when it stopped as abruptly as it had started.

I was shaking as I dusted myself off and stood. I began to stagger my way towards the cave, where I could wake Lucy, and she would tell me what it was, because Lucy just..knew these things.

She could explain it. Right?

"Argh!" My body hit the earth so hard and fast it was like an invisible force pinned me to the ground, lying on my back. I tried to stand up, but I couldn't move.

I was trapped.

Helpless.

In the black night sky void of all stars, two floating, shining figures sored down towards me, and an achingly familiar memory began to play like a movie in front of me.

"Igneel!" little me pranced around the great red-and-black dragon. "Tell me a story!"

"Natsu." There it was, his deep, grumbling voice, full of care and love that I thought I would never see again. "Tonight, I won't tell you a story about made-up characters. This time, I'll tell you about a little boy who was raised by a dragon. "

"Me?"

"Not necessarily. Well, this little boy-"

"I'm NOT little!"

"I never said it was about you, Natsu. Anyway, this boy learned how to master the art of using fire, and had the potential to kill a dragon as a true Dragon Slayer should. But one day, the boy needed to get into the outside world and learn from new friends, human friends. So he left the dragon and went out through Fiore, and bid his dragon father good-bye."

"But-" little me tugged on Igneel's claw. "I'm gonna stay with you forever, Igneel! If the story is about me, that is."

The fire dragon shook his reptilian head. "Not forever. There are things I can't teach you, about children and communities and laughing with friends."

Little Natsu clambered onto Igneel's paw. "I laugh with you!"

Igneel chuckled. "Never mind. You'll understand later. Now, go to sleep."

" 'Night, Igneel."

"Good night, Natsu."

I wished I could run away, because I knew what happened next and I had sworn that I would never relive it again.

"Igneel!" The dawn shone on my younger version's frantic face. "Igneel, where are you?! Come back!"

"No.." I murmured, trying to close my eyes. "IGNEEL!"

Hours for lil' Natsu passed in mere seconds for me, and I was forced to watch myself collapse, wailing for my father, so young. Now I wanted to float up there to him, to comfort him, guide him to Fairy Tail.

In a way, I was comforting the current time me, knowing that this little boy will find happiness again.

He will.

The image of me shimmered, morphed, until it was a me a recognized very well, in a place that I went to every day.

Natsu from three years ago opened the door to the guild. "Hey, everyone-?" The lively, friendly guild was dark, and the members sat in a silence that broke into whispers as her entered.

"It's Natsu."

"They were best friends, how will he...?"

"Poor guy."

This was a memory that had haunted me until mere months ago. This was...

"Natsu." The three-years-younger Mirajane came forward, sobbing and cloaked in black.

"Mira? Oh, and Elfman, too. You're back?" I looked at them quizzically. "What's wrong? And where-where's Lisanna?"

Mirajane broke into fresh sobs as it dawned on me what had happened. "No. She's not-she didn't-"

But the pitying murmurs and looks were all that were needed for an answer.

"Lisanna's...dead...?"

Now, the only thing that comforted me was that Lisanna wasn't really dead, that she had returned home, and if-no, when I got back to Fairy Tail she would greet me once more with a smile.

More nightmarish memories played in the sky-Gray, casting Iced Shell, stopped by me as I realized what that would do to him. Lucy, kidnapped, sobbing, begging me to stay in Fairy Tail. Erza, reading the note that Lucy had left, the one that we thought meant that she was abandoning us forever.

The screams of agony from Erza as she was trapped in the Tower of Heaven, Jellal tormenting her, the pain of eating Etherion, Erza dissolving into the crystals. I jumped after her, and the memory cut off, not wanting to give me the relief of watching me pull Erza out again.

Laxus trying to take over Fairy Tail, everyone getting hurt by their friends, lightning crashing down from Laxus' ever-powerful hands. Wendy sobbing as she faced Jellal, Jellal, who had made Erza cry... Nearly knocked out on the raft, I was forced to watch Lucy battle with Angel, saved by Hibiki's spell. Nirvana fired at Wendy's guild, and her cries of horror echoed in my ears.

And then we were in Edolas, as I saw Lisanna again, but little did I know that it was our Lisanna. Happy, who was no longer cheerful, forced to fight for both the kingdoms of Exceeds and Humans. Yelling out in pain as Wendy and I had our magic sucked out of us, with no one to save us. Fighting Faust with his giant magical robot, the three Dragon Slayers fighting with their all but not defeating him, forced to fight, getting weaker with every hit.

Tenrou Island. Losing to Gildarts, tears splattering the cold stone surface. Elfman and Evergreen, nearly claimed by Zeref's Death magic, my scarf, tainted black with Black Magic. Lucy, tortured by Hikaru as I was trapped, giving me a pained smile, and I couldn't do anything to help her as I told her to run, run away...Wendy, disappeared, taken by Hades. My Lightning-Fire Dragon Roar, unable to defeat this new, invincible enemy. Holding hands with the group of Fairy Tail members at Tenrou Island, as Acnologia roared, as we prepared for the worst...

And then Lucy was crying again, because her father was dead, and she moved on, in this new world...Because we were Fairy Tail, and whatever happened, we would keep on going...

The shackles were released and I had control over my body again. Sitting up, I touched a gentle hand to my face and found it wet with tears.

What was that? My most painful memories had tortured me, but now, it was silent, but my heart was weighted with even more pain... that was my entire life.

Pain.

Shaking, trembling, Lucy was sobbling, curled in a ball nearby. All thoughts were driven from my head as I rushed to her, shook her arm called her name.

"Lucy? It's Natsu. Will you get up now? You look really sad when you cry..."

Lucy's face emerged. "Well, wh-what do you expect?" she stammered, hiding her pain.

She had just seen her most painful memories.

"You saw them too, didn't you?" Lucy asked, standing up.

"Not yours. My memories."

She searched my face, and I knew that she knew what I had just relived.

"Come on." Lucy took a step toward the cave. "Happy must be wondering what happened."

* * *

_In a circular control room that gleamed like glass, Mr. Director sat in an armchair with his eyes focused on a small screen._

_"The Midnight Torture didn't manage to kill them off? And their pasts were so tragic..." Mr. Director watched Natsu grip Lucy's arm as they stumbled towards the cave._

_"Well, at least it'll weaken them. The next little surprise will certainly do them in." Mr. Director sighed. "Naughty children...you'll see what happens to trespassers in the Forbidden."_

_ stretched and exited, pausing only once to glance at a misty black hole with several settings, one of which read 'Earthland'._

* * *

**Sky: Sorry, Wendy, Carla, Amu, you were supposed to come in today but I felt like this was a really good ending.**

**Gray: We went on vacation while you guys worked your butts off!**

**Erza: That beach sold the best blueberry cheesecake ever!**

**Ikuto: She's on a cake high. Don't try to reason with her. We did, and you do NOT want to know what happened.**

**Erza: CAKE, CAKE, CAKE, CAKE!**

**Amu: Wait. Let me try something. Erza, you are a monster!**

**Erza: Do monsters get cake?**

**Amu: No.**

**Erza: RAAAAAAH! *chases Amu***

**Sky: When it comes to Erza (cake high or not), just say yes.**


	11. Thief of Thought

**Chapter 11**

** Last time, Natsu and Lucy suffered the agony of reliving their most painful memories. It is revealed (but not to Natsu and the rest) that Mr. Director has a portal back home in his room, and he has more horrors in store.**

**Varshini: I dunno who can go on vacation today. Natsu's gang, probably.**

**Lucy: Natsu's gang?! I'M the main character!**

**Natsu: No, I am!**

**Happy: Don't complain; we're going on vacation. Oh yeah, is there a fishing area wherever we're going?**

**Varshini: I dunno, you guys decide where-**

**Erza: CAKE, ****_CAKE_****, CAKE, CAKE, CAKE!**

**Varshini: -never mind, I get to decide.**

* * *

Wendy's P.O.V (at the time where Ikuto is taken by Erza and Gray)

Ikuto-san, and Erza-san, and Gray-san...they had just disappeared.

Another tragedy, again?

Amu-chan smiled at me comfortingly. "Erza-san half-explained. They're safe, don't worry-"

"The insolent little brats!" Zeref began to glow with a deadly black aura. Dark Magic surged from every particle of his body, fueled by his rage.

A pair of strong arms yanked me out of harm's way, and the last thing I could see was a group of kids who Amu-chan seemed to know, seeing as she screamed, "Rima! Tadase-kun! Nagi-"

And then we tumbled back upon the familiar ground that surged with magic.

Our world.

I gazed up at our saviors, who I now recognized very well.

The one who had saved me was wearing torn and tattered black robes with a face-mask that had tumbled off to reveal a red tattoo over one eye and tousled, electric blue hair.

"Jellal-san..."

The second, who had taken Amu-chan, had long, straight black hair that tumbled over a tight-fitting brown and white bodysuit. A single crystal ball was clutched in her pale hand.

"Ultear-san..."

Setting down Carla, the third rose to look at us. With long, wavy hair in a vibrant shade of pink to rival Amu-chan's, she stood next to Ultear and emanated a friendly aura.

"Meldy-san..."

"W-who are you?" Amu-chan stared at her three saviors.

"Jellal, jail escapee and former slave laborer."

Amu-chan paled.

" I am Ultear, ex dark guild member."

Amu-chan, though she probably didn't know what a dark guild was, gasped.

"Hi! I'm Meldy, also used-to-be dark guid member and Ultear's accomplice!" Maybe it was the hair, maybe it was the smile, but Amu-chan seemed a little more comfortable with Meldy-san.

Still, though, she cried, "I was saved by a bunch of...criminals?!"

Ultear-san laughed-a bad move, because her laugh sounds more evil than she really is. "We're all good now. We are the three only members of the independent crime-fighting guild, Crime Sorciere!"

Amu-chan stood, worry evident in her expression. "But-my friends, were they caught up in...?"

Meldy-san gave her a thumbs up. "They're safe, not to worry! But they'll be wondering how they ended up in their houses..."

Amu-chan pulled out a notepad, scribbling something and then tearing it off. "Can you go back to my world? We can't, so can you please show this to them...?"

Of course. If Lucy's magic somehow repels her Spirits, that means that Amu-chan and Ikuto-san cannot travel to other worlds.

"Wait!" Carla had a commanding presence, even if she was tiny. "As far as I know, you guys can't world-travel!"

A shadow crossed Jellal-san's face. " We've had to step up our magic abilities."

"What happened?"

Ultear-san shook her dark hair out of her eyes. "We were caught by the Magic Council."

"No!" I gasped.

Meldy-san nodded. "It's true. We have reached new levels entirely, magic strong enough to break out of there, escape Fiore. We know of the negative energy situation, and we will keep it under control."

Ultear-san materialized a sword. "With your friends' help, Amu-yes, we know who you are-we will open up portals to wherever the dark energy is strongest, and your friends will stabilize the fighting."

Jellal stepped forward. "Rest assured that they will be safe. But please, talk to Master and see if he knows how to annihilate the problem. And..." Jellal-san hesitated. "..Is Erza alright?"

I smiled at the man who wanted to know the whereabouts of his longtime friend. "She's fine, just had to take Ikuto somewhere..."

"And Gray?" Ultear-san inquired about her mother's pupil.

Amu-chan laughed nervously. "He...kind of ended up with Erza."

Meldy-san glanced around, as if she wanted to find someone. "Where's Juvia?"

"Fairy Tail."

Ultear-san opened a swirling black hole in the middle of the air. "Well then, you three. We're off. Be careful, and don't forget to find Master."

And then they had left.

It stung a little, the way they had talked to us. Sure, we were the young kids, the weak kids (plus one cat). But that didn't mean that they had to talk down to us!

Amu-chan jumped as Carla lifted her into the air. "What are you waiting for, Wendy?" the cat scolded. "Let's fly!"

The wind answered my call and we soared into the skies.

* * *

"Very well. Thank you for telling us the whole story, Wendy..." Master shifted slightly on the stool he sat perched upon. "...But now we're going to have to find a way to get out of this giant mess."

The sickness.

Natsu-san, Lucy-san, and Happy.

Gray-san, Erza-san, and Ikuto-san.

"Levy!" Master called, and Lucy-san's petite friend looked up from a fat book entitled _Complex Magical Theories_.

"Yes, Master?" Levy-san had a small, thin figure with untidy sky-blue hair and a yellow headband. She seemed like a weak opponent-but her skill was greater than you'd think.

Master cleared his throat. "I want you to take Wendy, Carla, and Amu to the archives. Look up any information that will help us cure the disease or get the others back.

"Right-o, then! Come with me!" Levy-san began to scurry down several flight of stairs to the library.

"Wait, Levy! We wanna-" Jet-san and Droy-san, Levy's teammates who were actually much weaker than she was, were cut off by Levy-san.

"I don't want distractions, you guys. Sorry, but.." I knew from experience that her shy demeanor wouldn't actually keep people away from the library. (It's happened to me. Many times.)

"But Le-vy..."

"Are you idiots? If she doesn't want you around, then go! You're just annoying if you hang around like puppy dogs." Amu-chan tossed her hair out of her face in one elegant motion, hand on her hip. She was probably one of the smallest people in the entire guild, but right now, she was just plain imposing.

"Y-yes!" Jet-san and Droy-san were gone in a flash.

Almost immediately, Amu-chan gulped and blushed hard. "Sorry, so sorry!" she gasped to Levy. "I didn't mean to insult your, uh, fanboys, that was just my outer character! My apologies!"

Wow. I never knew that Amu-chan could be all..

"Cool and Spicy." Ran circled Amu-chan's head.

Miki fiddled with her cap. "That's what the kids call her back home."

"But she's not really like that!" Su wailed.

Dia placed a hand over her heart. "She has already shown you who she really is."

"Guys!" Amu-chan grabbed them all like she was catching butterflies and she stuffed them in her pouch. "Don't say that!"

I giggled and followed Levy-san into the library, wishing that Amu-chan, her Shugo Chara, and I could actually play together sometime, instead of fighting and...well, researching.

"Here we go!"

Climbing up ridiculously tall ladders and standing on tiptoe, we ran our fingers along hundreds of books that wouldn't help us. Browsing shelves so low we had to lie down to look at them we searched for some solution, but in vain.

Hours slowly ticked by, and I found my mind wandering as I idly searched the titles for something useful.

Since Lucy had bought those fateful keys, we had been through so much.

We were now in a crisis as dynamic as the Oracion Seis battle or the fight in Edolas. If we didn't stop it now, it would grow into something as unstoppable as the Tenrou Island adventure.

Except this time, Natsu-san was (probably) trapped in another world, where he could no longer save the day.

Erza-san had been whisked off to who-knows-where, so she could no longer fight battles with the most skillful of opponents.

Gray-san and Lucy-san were no longer there to provide support-and fight a few of their own battles themselves.

Even Happy was absent from where he should be, motivating us, calling "Aye!"

This battle was one we had to fight alone.

"Wendy!" Levy-san called. I was tottering at the top of two ladders stacked on top of each other, and it was all I could do to stay upright as I replied, "What is it, Levy-san?"

"It's been hours, and I think we've gone through every book in this library."

"So can I come down?" Thank goodness. I didn't think I could stay up here much longer.

Levy-san shook her head apologetically. "Actually, I was wondering if you could pull out the book at the topmost shelf with a Fairy Tail symbol on the spine."

The top shelf was the only one we hadn't searched, and now I made a terrifying jump to pull the book off the rack.

My heels flew off the ladder, and then I was plummeting down-

My hand clenched on the edge of the shelf for dear life. I had been saved by my Sky Dragon magic, which had bounced me up once I fell. The book I had pulled out lay open on the ground, but the space behind it was not wood.

It was empty space.

Amu-chan joined me, with wings on her wrists and ankles that enabled her to fly. A 'Chara Change', she called it.

"Go on, there's a knob inside. Turn it!" Levy yelled as she performed a Solid Script Wings Spell.

Carla swept up and lifted me into the air, and I turned the cool metal which I could feel but not see.

The entire shelf and the one below it began to creak and shift, revealing an embellished door set into the wood.

Amu-chan tentatively opened it, and we fluttered inside.

At least ten times larger than the Fairy Tail Archives, the huge circular room was packed with shelves and shelves of books. Tables piled high with binders and paper filled the center, and warmly glowing lamps lit the room.

Levy landed gently behind us, wings disappearing from her back.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail's Secret Archives."

I gazed openmouthed at the hidden library. What books could be in here that made it secret to all but a few people?

Levy lovingly touched the stiff-with-age books. "These books hold magic and knowledge that could potentially devastate the world. They hold indescribable power. If the answer to our problems are not here, then they will not be found anywhere. The few hours we spend there will determine the fate of not just us but possibly the entire universe."

* * *

Away from prying eyes, Levy-san, Master, Amu-chan, and I laid out the heavy book.

Levy set down the book, causing dust to fly everywhere. "We had to look in the Secret Archives, Master, but we found it." The book's title was frightening, and I couldn't believe Fairy Tail held such material.

_ "Zeref: The World's Most Powerful Dark Wizard and His Magic."_ Master read aloud. "_This_ book, Levy? Are you sure?"

Levy-san nodded grimly. "Positive. Look on page seven hundred fifty-six."

Master flipped open to the said page, which was only about halfway through the book. He whispered the words in faded ink that lay on the withered yellow parchment.

"_It is said that one of Zeref's earliest crimes was the stealing of the heart. He would destroy a person's dreams and feelings, leaving the victim emotionless and unbalanced. This progressed to soul-stealing, which in turn led to the taking of life-the darkness that symbolizes Zeref today._"

"That's why X eggs were created!" burst out Amu-chan.

Master studied the book. "It is quite possible that Zeref started it, but now X eggs are created naturally. Am I correct?"

Fear flashed over Amu-chan's features. "Most of the time they're natural...but not always..."

Levy-san tok over the reading. "_As Zeref's magic abilities strengthened, he went back to his old habit of dream-stealing-except with a destructive twist. Those affected turn ordinary objects into weapons and are forced to fight others to the death. It was an effective way for Zeref to rid the world of people he did not want. It started in his home realm of Earthland, but he began to take it to other worlds. It is not known what these worlds were, or how he traveled there. All that is known is that Zeref's plan met its end on the planet Earth."_

Amu-chan gasped. "That's where-"

Levy-san cut her off. "We know you and Ikuto come from Earth. But listen to this.."

"_Almost nothing is known about what happened. All we know is that exactly seven ago, a man by the name of Aruto Tsukiyomi destroyed Zeref's plan for good, creating a peaceful world. However, information on this subject has a major conflict. Zeref is known to have failed at his plan one hundred years ago, yet Aruto Tsukiyomi confronted Zeref seven years ago. This is_-Amu, what's wrong?"

Amu-chan was white and tensed, hands over her mouth.

"Amu-chan, are you alright? What-"

Amu-chan whispered almost inaudibly. "Aruto is...Ikuto's father. And he disappeared eleven years ago."

Master flipped to the front of the book. "Despite the apparent age of the book, it was actually published only four years ago. Which means-"

"Aruto left-"

"-to stop Zeref...?"

The light at the end of the tunnel was finally visible.

"If we can talk to Aruto-san, then we can stop Zeref and cure the sickness for good!"

Gray's P.O.V

I yawned and stretched, flopping onto the plush hotel bed. France sure has good facilities! I was ready to sleep-it was really late.

"This is no time to be relaxing, Gray!" Erza slapped me forcefully, and I slouched myself into a sitting position. "But Er-zaaaa..."

"So, are we gonna go back to Japan-nya?" questioned Yoru, Ikuto's Shugo Chara.

Erza frowned. "We would, but we don't have enough money."

Utau smirked faintly. "You're forgetting that I'm a super-rich celebrity and pop star."

"You are?"

Utau fished around in her purse, pulling out a card and typing some stuff into the electronic thing-a computer.

"There. Plane ride to Japan, all set."

I stared at the seemingly powerful plastic card. "What _is _that thing?"

Ikuto chuckled. "Don't tell me you haven't heard of a credit card!"

Utau and Ikuto began explaining about all the weird devices their people came up with in replacement of magic. Erza didn't seem to be joining in the fun, though. Tense, she kept tapping her foot against the floor and started at the sound of some animal.

"I'm going to go out and investigate. There's something fishy out there." Erza requipped from pajamas to her standard armor and headed out.

"Wait, Erza!" Ikuto and I hurried after her, with Utau tailing us. She called, "What did she just do with her CLOTHES?!"

Ahead of us, Erza broke into a run. I froze the nearby river and jumped on, using my strength with ice to speed up. I glanced back to see Utau being held up by a redheaded woman who was presumably her manager saying, "Utau, you need to get ready for the concert!"

"But Erza-"

"I'm sure Ikuto's friends will be fine, Utau, you have to-"

"Sanjo-san, please-"

"Utau, I can't-"

Ikuto leaped over the tree tops above me, apparently using his Chara Change. I jumped off the frozen river and hurried after Erza, who had requipped into Flight Armor and was now virtually unstoppable.

"Erza, wait!"

"What are you doing?!"

Ikuto made a huge leap of faith, landing spot-onto Erza and pinning her flat. I had to admit, that guy's aim was impressive.

But when I finally reached Ikuto, Erza was gone and Ikuto was flopped on the ground, dazed.

"Gray! She just-" Ikuto displayed a red lump forming on his face.

"She punched you?" I yanked him off the ground.

"Yeah, and then she said. 'They're getting away!'"

So Erza was chasing someone.

Then we would chase her.

Rushing after the speck that was Erza, I could feel myself tiring just a bit. Erza not only had much more strength and spped than us, she also had more stamina.

"We're losing her!" gasped Ikuto.

Gathering up every last ounce of speed that I had, I zoomed off with the help of my ice. Ikuto moved so fast he was barely visible, and slowly Erza came into clearer view.

Lamps lit up a small French town which was gathered around a spectacle that they probably's hadn't seen before: Erza, fighting three mysterious people. She shone and requipped several times, and it was clear that Titania had finally met her match.

Ikuto landed behind me. "Erza needs help!"

"You think I don't know that?!" I snarled at Ikuto, who elbowed me out of the way.

"Idiot, there's a stream right there. Freeze it!" And then he was gone.

That bratty little-! But I might as well use the stream.

Hold on a little longer, Erza...

Ikuto arrived just before me. I bolted into the frenzy and managed to catch Erza just as she was blown backwards by her opponents.

"Gray?!" Erza whirled around.

I readied a ice sword. "Don't go chasing after people without your friends, will ya?"

Erza grinned. "Sure thing."

I faced off against a woman with pastel blue hair highlighted with darker streaks and a headband of blue and gold. Her eyes glittered in flashes of blue so bright that I couldn't tell their expression. She wore a flowing, almost primitive blue-and gold dress and shining jewelry.

She called a spell in a different language, glowing with electric blue fire. I charged but simply bounced off her, as if she held an invisible shield over her entire body.

She laughed, filling the air with a melodious sound that should not have belonged to a villian. "No attack can hit me, my friend."

I thought of Juvia, my former enemy, who said she was invincible to attacks due to her body made of water. "I know someone who once claimed that exact same thing." I surveyed the woman, searching for her force-field's possible weakness. "And I defeated her."

_Think, _I told myself. _How did I defeat Juvia?_

She had engulfed me in boiling water. I had frozen it, and had frozen her.

If I could trap her in ice, then she was as good as defeated.

I smirked as my plan for sucess flashed in my mind.

I concentrated, sending a rope of ice through the ground until it was directly under her.

Sorry, little lady. But if Erza doesn't trust you, then I shouldn't either.

"Jibun no kangae: Tenso!" The woman's spell sent silky strands weaving into my head, my very thoughts.

"AAARGH!" In one yank of pain, my thoughts were literally pulled from my head. I saw them flash one last time before entering this amazing wizard's head.

_Send the Ice Rope under the ground. Attack her from underneath and trap her. Then freeze her with Ice Make Geyser. Juvia would be proud... _

"Not bad for a weak kid like you." The woman smirked. "However, no one can beat me." With one flick of her wrist an ice rope-my ice rope-hurtled towards me.

"Ice make Shield!" But my own rope shattered the shield.

"So unfortunate." cooed my opponent. "If you had more magic power than me, then maybe you would have had a chance. No on has defeated me before, not in my entire life!"

I stumbled backward. "Wh-who are you?"

Another laugh. "Me? I am Cyrulea, and I am the master of everything you do!"

"Why is Erza chasing you?"

"Hmm...maybe because of this person?"

And there, knocked out cold and hovering in midair, was...

"JUVIA!"

At my panicked yell, Juvia stirred. "Gray...where am I? Who are these people?"

Cyrulea let Juvia fall to the ground with a thump. She seemed to be bound with some invisible rope.

"Let her go!"

"That's got you in a right little state, hasn't she? Don't you care about your friends?" Cyrulea drove Juvia into the ground, and she screamed with pain. "Leave this place, and leave Erza, now, and she goes home unharmed. Fight, and she dies." A razor sharp dagger materialized in her hand.

"Gray, please! Save me! Don't let me die, Gray..."

_"Gray..."_ Juvia's pleading voice echoed in my mind.

Gray.

That's it!

The mystery with Erza, and exactly why she was chasing these people, would be solved later.

"I stand with Erza. Kill Juvia. I don't care about her as much as I care about Erza." The lie stuck in my throat, but I forced myself to keep going.

Momentary shocked flitted across Cyrulea's face. "You will let me kill her? Be warned if this is some kind of trick, then all of you will die."

"You may kill the girl laying down over there, and I will not attempt to save her.

Juvia whimpered, "No! Please, for me! Don't you care about me, Gray?

Unnoticably shaking, Cyrulea raised the dagger.

I smirked. Her cover was as good as blown.

The dagger plunged into Juvia's body, which shimmered like a holograph and disppeared.

"You see, Juvia doesn't call me Gray. She calls me Gray-sama."

* * *

Sky: So for those of you who are like 'What in the world just happened, read on. For those of you who kinda have an idea of why it turned out like it did, check your answer. And for those of you who are positively SURE they know what the deal with Juvia is...you may be wrong! (The next part isn't actually part of the chapter, it just explains what happened in Gray's P.O.V)

* * *

Gray's P.O.V

White, shaking, powerless, Cyrulea's confident features morphed into an expression of shock. "But-how did you know...?"

I gazed at the area where Fake Juvia once lay. "There are lots of things you missed. Juvia would willingly sacrifice herself for me, even if it was the wrong thing to do. Juvia would not argue with me once I had made a decision. Juvia-Juvia is a person ten times better than the fake one will ever be!"

Cyrulea had manipulated my thoughts to gain control of the Ice Rope. She probably could use Ice Make Geyser if she wanted. I had, just briefly, thought of Juvia in the thought Cyrulea stole. Just a flash of an image, a glimpse of her personality. So when she created a Juvia to torment me, force me to surrender, it had been all to easy to gaze past her deceptions.

Erza was not chasing these people because they had Juvia.

So why was she?

* * *

**Sky: So basically, Cyrulea manipulated the thought that she stole from Gray, about the plan he was going to use to defeat Cyrulea. Look again-he mentions Juvia.**

**Lucy: That was a big risk he took. Juvia could have been an enemy!**

**Gray: No, I say Juvia would be proud, so...**

**Sky: Anyway, this Juvia was actually fake. Cyrulea steals other people's thoughts and makes them hers. but she can't actually recreate humans.**

**Amu: Thief!**

**Sky: By the way, I OWN Cyrulea and Mr. Director. Everyone else is either Peach-Pit's or Hiro Mashima's.**

**Everyone: READ AND REVIEW!**


	12. Hopeless and Unwanted

**Chapter 12**

**Last time, Levy, Wendy and Amu found some groundbreaking information that could kill the sickness. Gray and Ikuto followed Erza on a mysterious chase, where they battle extremely skillful opponents.**

**Sky: Sorry nonexistent readers but school has started so now I will only update once or twice a week. Also, I AM ADDING AN IMPORTANT EDIT TO THE END OF CHAPTER 10, if you read this up to date. ****If you want to prove that you do exist, please review for me and add to my pitiful five reviews!**

**Amu: Sky does not own us but she does own Cyrulea and Mr. Director!**

**Ikuto: Let us get this party started.**

***Silence***

**Lucy: You really shouldn't say stuff like that.**

**Ikuto: Gray dared me to.**

* * *

Lucy's P.O.V

I didn't want to leave this peaceful slumber, didn't want to remember...

I curled up into a tighter ball at the horrific memories of that night.

"Look, Natsu, she's moving!"

"OI! LUCY!"

"Nat..su...Happ...y?" I stirred, opening my eyes at last.

Rubbing my eyes, I reluctantly sat up.

"What was wrong with you?" Natsu pulled out a banana from his backpack and offered it to me. "You were out for three days!"

"Three days?!" I gasped. "What about getting out of here? What about all our friends?!" I shuddered at the mere thought of all our friends grieving for the people who had never died. "_Why didn't you just wake me up?_"

Natsu sighed, sitting cross-legged on the cave's stone floor. "Well, we both got in there, and you crashed. I told Happy what happened, and then I just slept, till a day ago." I noticed that Natsu was carefully, very carefully, avoiding mentioning the memories.

I peeled the banana, taking a large bite. " Then why didn'tcha wake m' up a day 'go?"

"I dunno. You just...looked like you needed some sleep." Natsu sighed.

"Well, I'm all better now." I announced, standing up. I swayed alarmingly, dizzy for a second before I regained my balance.

Happy laughed. "Natsu was like that too. He just went, wooooah!" The cat did a hilarious imitation of a stumbling Natsu. "And then he was like-"

"ROOOAR!"

I snapped into battle position, hand on my whip.

"That wasn't you, Happy, was it?"

"N-nope."

"Then let's fight!"

Confident, sure that this was going to be another easy win, we raced outside.

"River of Stars!" Even before I faced the moster, I drew out my faithful whip. The sight that greeted me nearly stopped my heart, and I froze.

There stood Lullaby in demon form, the first monster we had ever faced as a four-person-and-one-cat team. It was grotesque, with a huge wooden body that looked like it had been created out of gnarled trees and three glowing red eyes.

Now there were only two of us-and we were powerless.

"What are you standing there for, Lucy?" called Natsu as he attempted to punch Lullaby.

A memory of Lullaby, after Natsu, Gray, and Erza had defeated it, flashed through my mind. A memory of the monster's Flute Form cracking into pieces.

"You're supposed to be DEAD! Your flute broke!"

Lullaby cackled. "The flute then released me, and I have journeyed here to become strong enough to devour the souls of every human! Including you, who destroyed me before!" The echoey voice sounded like several people were yelling at once.

"No way you're strong enough!" Natsu went at Lullaby like an angry bull, but without his magic even the monster he had defeated long ago was a challenge to fight.

Steeling myself, I slashed the River of Stars. The glowing whip struck a direct hit on the monster, but he simply grabbed it with one giant, wooden hand. "Magical whip, huh?" it snarled. "No problem."

He clenched his grip on my prize possesion (apart from my keys) so hard that smoke began to swirl away from it. It thickened until I was coughing amidst the hazy gray substance, and when the smoke finally cleared the River Of Stars lay limply at my feet.

Or what was left of it, anyway.

The whip which had failed to surrender until now was broken into little pieces, only the handle remaining intact. I remembered how Virgo had given me this, concerned for my magic power, giving me a gift from the Celestial Spirit World that would save my energy.

This was more than just a magical whip.

It was what connected me to my spirits, even when we were apart.

"How do you like your little whip now, girly?"

Anger surged through me and I threw the handle at Lullaby with all the force I could muster. "You will NOT get away with this!"

With a little _ping _the handle bounced right off Lullaby, and I growled in frustration. So much for all the force I could muster.

Natsu stumbled backwards, covered in scratches and bruises. Without his magic his was badly hurt-and so was his pride.

"I'm not done yet!" he roared, oblivious to the fact that he had barely made a scratch on Lullaby.

"Natsu!" I called, grabbing his arm. "Think for a second!"

"I DON'T think at all, Lucy!" Natsu attempted to wrest his arm from my grip. I yanked him backwards, pulling with both hands now, and hissed a set of instructions into his sharp ears.

"Got it." Natsu flashed me a grin before taking a running jump and fastening himself onto Lullaby's leg.

Happy joined me. "What's Natsu gonna do?"

Natsu deftly scampered onto the chest of the beast, breaking little bits here and there. "Watch, Happy. If this goes well, then Lullaby will be defeated a second time."

"And if it fails?"

"Then we're all gonna have our souls sucked out."

Natsu disappeared into the throat area of the monster. It roared, "YOUR SOULS WILL DIE NOW!" and I winced for Natsu and his sensitive ears.

_Come on, you're so close. Please, please, do it in time. _I prayed silently for my friend as Lullaby prepared to sing the song that would draw out our souls.

A splintering _Cr-ak _echoed throughout the Forbidden and I knew that Lullaby's vocal chords were no more.

The song would sing no longer.

When we fought Lullaby all those months ago, those three battle maniacs Natsu, Gray, and Erza cracked so much of the monster that the song wasn't able to, well, sing. After all, Lullaby was technically a flute. But with much less power on our side this time, there had to be one body part that we could destroy. I had taken a big chance here-it was possible that Lullaby didn't even have vocal chords. But seeing as the song was failing right now, plan Defeat Lullaby was a success.

Natsu gave me a high-five as he landed beside me, bringing back memories of countless battles won.

"We did it!"

"Not so fast..." Happy pointed, with one paw, at the looming figure ready to strike us so hard we'd end up buried in the ground a thousand miles away.

Natsu screamed "Jump on!"

One giant arm came toward us at top speed, and I only got what he meant when a long wooden finger nearly caught me in the stomach.

I leaped onto the finger, and a flash of pink hair and blue fur told me that Natsu and Happy had made it on too. I gripped as tightly as I could without alerting Lullaby, but apparently monsters have an acute sense of touch. It swung us round and round, and I was forced to grip the finger that was my lifeline with all my might. Beside me, Natsu barfed.

For once, I wasn't grossed out by his motion sickness. If he fell...well, it was a long way down.

"Hang in there, Natsu!" I called as Lullaby began storming around.

"MmpgvfiowedxBLEURGH!" was his only reply.

I was rocked heavily from side to side as Lullaby began lumbering towards some specific destination-of where exactly it was I had no clue. Time passed quickly with the combined efforts of trying to keep myself hanging and helping Happy keep Natsu from tumbling off Lullaby's middle finger.

Slowly, a small silver building came into view. It was hidden in a mass of gnarled brown trees that were completely leafless, and the bright cleanliness starkly contrasted with the dreary landscape around it.

And Lullaby was headed right to it.

I braced myself for a collision as Lullaby sped up, and the building drew closer and closer-

A hole opened in the gleaming, domed ceiling.

A hole?!

With one furious _WHACK_, I was flung from Lullaby's hand and the world spun into a blur. Somehow I grabbed the hem of Natsu's scarf, Happy clinging onto Natsu's shoulder.

Colors whirled as we plummeted towards whatever lay below, and I closed my eyes tightly. My hands tightened upon the inch of scarf that was tethering both Natsu and Happy to life as we fell-

down,

down,

down.

But the impact never came.

Shakily, I opened my eyes. I lay on a plush white mattress, staring up at blue sky through a hole in the ceiling.

A hole?!

So we were in the silver building.

I released my hold on Natsu, who was now rid of his motion sickness but was a nasty shade of blue. Guilt coursed through me as I realized that I had been so intent on saving our lives that I had nearly suffocated Natsu. As a result, he had now passed out.

"Hey, Natsu!" Happy prodded his master. "Lucy's not killing you anymore!"

"Really, Happy. I. Saved. Your. Lives. The least you could do is be grateful!"

"But you're-AHHH! PARADISE PERSON!" Happy yowled, and I whirled around.

There in the doorway stood none other than...

Mr. Director.

My hands instinctively found my waist, but my keys lay lifeless and my whip was gone. I swallowed, guarding Natsu, and demanded, "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, Lucy." Chains flashed forward and pinned all three of us to the wall in an instant. "What a pleasure. It seems Lullaby was unable to finish you off, so I have the honor of doing it myself." Mr. Director cooed, raising a lethal-looking metal instrument.

Natsu still lay limp against the wall, only held by the chains.

Happy was bound far too tight with his little body.

And I...I was weak.

Incapable.

I had no strength.

I could never defeat someone without help.

Bound and helpless now, there was no hope.

Mr. Director raised the instrument, and I made one last attempt to get free.

Hopeless...

Amu's P.O.V

I sighed, idly fiddling with my hair clip.

"Are you sad, Amu-chan?" Ran asked me as she danced in the air.

"Not really. Just..."

"Bored? " suggested Miki.

Su perched on my shoulder. "Lonely?"

Dia scrutinized me as if she was staring into my heart. "Unwanted?"

As usual, the golden Shugo Chara had hit the mark.

After the news about Ikuto's dad and Zeref, all the Fairy Tail members had been scrambling to find a way to my world. At first, they had thought my Character Transformation would do the trick like last time, but it soon became clear that somehow my Spirit connection had been severed. It was almost like Lucy's magic had stopped working. But after that failure, I had spent most of the past three days watching the others hard at work and talking to the sweet barmaid, Mirajane.

"So, Amu-chan, what's life on Earth like?" She asked this many times, as it was practically the only the thing we had to talk about. Besides, simple things like school uniforms interested her so much that it was nearly impossible not to talk for hours.

"Well..." I swung my legs on the stool I sat on and twiddled the straw in my lemonade. "Uh, so there's this thing, called a computer, and I'm sure there's a magical equivalent here, but..." Dreary minutes ticked by and I slowly lapsed into silence, out of things to say. Mira-san's ocean blue eyes searched me curiously, and finally she turned back to the dishes she was watching with the slightest of smiles.

"What is it, Mira-san?"

"Nothing, I..." She hesitated, tucking a lock of strange white hair behind her ear. ( She was just a teenager and her hair was white! ) "My sister was, well, is, just like you." I followed her gaze to a lively girl a year or two younger than Mira-san with the same snow-white hair, except cut short, and bright blue eyes.

"That's Lisanna." Mira-san watched her sister lean in to the group to talk with Levy about something.

I gazed at all the people communicating, sharing ideas.

Working together as one unit, one family.

"Wow...the bonds between you people...are amazing."

Mira-san leaned forward. " They are, aren't they? That's the point of the guild."

But the one problem was that the guild's relationships were so tightly woven that when a new girl, a young girl, walked in from another world...they gravitated away from her.

Which was why she now sat alone, with only her Shugo Chara and Mira-san to keep her company.

(That girl is me, if you're too dumb to have picked it up by now.)

"Mira-nee!" Lisanna called. "Can you help us with this?"

Mira-san hurried over. "No problem, Lisanna."

And now, even she was gone.

I sipped the remnants of my lemonade and watched Fairy Tail worked to solve the problem I had given them, a problem which I couldn't even help them with.

I looked up at the sound of light footsteps that fell like drops of rain.

"Amu..." It was the girl who had come home with Erza and Ikuto, addressing me hesitantly.

"Juvia-san, right?" Dia asked Juvia.

Juvia-san started, momentarily surprised at the presence of Shugo Chara. "Ah, yes. May Juvia sit down?"

What was with this girl? It was her guild; why was she being so formal? "Sure, I mean..."

It was a very awkward conversation to begin with, but before long I ended up spilling everything on my mind to the blue-haired teen.

She listened calmly, silently, and said when I had finished ranting, "They don't mean to leave you out. You're just...younger than the average guild age. You aren't unwanted at all."

"But Wendy, and that boy who wears the scarf like Natsu, and the little toddler..."

"Wendy, Romeo, and Asuka are younger. Even though you and Wendy were the ones on Earth before, they will send more experienced wizards like Mirajane-san, Elfman-san, Gajeel-san, Levy-san...that is, if they find a way back to Earth."

"You mean I won't get to return home?!" I gasped. That was messed up logic.

Juvia-san shook her head. "You will, as soon as we fix this problem. Because, Amu, that's actually why Juvia came here to talk to you."

What was Juvia-san saying? I thought she'd just come over because I was lonely...

Juvia looked at me grimly. "The sickness has transmitted."

"Wh-what do you mean?" I stammered.

"I mean that the sickness has infected our world as well. Master says that you can purify negative energy?"

"I haven't tried with the fully infected-"

"He wants you and Wendy, who uses healing magic, to keep the sickness stabilized in our world. And he had something else...he wanted you and Wendy to report to the second floor." Juvia left in as awkward a moment as when she approached me.

It slowly began to sink in that I was actually needed, my powers were needed, and that I wouldn't be sipping lemonade while others saved the world.

And best of all, I had a new friend to accompany me.

Happiness took a hold of me as I chattered with Wendy and Carla on our way up the stairs. "What d'you think we're gonna have to do?" I asked Wendy.

She shrugged. "It could be anything. We might just be traveling around fighting infected people, or we could be doing something more...I don't know, involving skill." Wendy glanced at me, unsure of her clarity, and I had to remind myself that this girl was shy. She really was opening up to me, like Rima had years ago.

Thoughts of Rima triggered thoughts of the rest of the Guardians. Ultear-san, Jellal-san, and Meldy-san said they'd keep them safe, but...were they really?

We peered up on to the second floor, where the Master was waiting. He was extraordinarily short, and I wondered how he could be so small.

"Wendy, Amu, Carla." the Master greeted us. "Sorry for having to meet you up here, but I would rather we had this discussion in private."

Private? Did that mean that this was a secret or dangerous mission...?

"Juvia-san said...that we were going to be healing the infected people?" Wendy had reverted back to her shy self.

Master cleared his throat. "Not exactly. Yes, you will be helping the infected, but your main mission is much more difficult."

I swallowed. This was sounding more and more intimidating by the minute.

"There is a very old legend, passed down from guild master to master, about an ultimate...I guess you could say 'power'. It was extremely sought after, and war broke out to determine possession of this power. So some of Fiore's greatest people, the most peaceful as well as astounding wizards, sealed it away on the top of a distant mountain that is impossible to get to the peak and vowed that their families would protect it forever."

"We're supposed to get this power?" I asked, awed. How were we supposed to obtain something that was impossible to take?

Wendy seemed to have this exact same worry, and murmured, "But how will we...?"

Master got serious, and his gaze seemed to bore holes in my mind. "I will now share with you a secret, a dangerous secret, that I trust for you to never tell anyone. Anyone but Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Happy, or that young man Ikuto. That is because these people will help you take the power."

"How?" demanded Carla.

"You have seen alternate worlds. Edolas for you, Wendy, and this world right here for Amu." The way he said my name, it carried some kind of dignity, a tone of respect I had never heard in my name before. "There are thousands, millions, even billions more." Even the thought made my heart beat faster. "This mountain is in every world, every single one. And if the peak is reached at the same time by at least three different groups from three different worlds, then..."

Three groups.

Natsu, Lucy, Happy. They were in some magic-repelling world.

Erza, Gray, Ikuto. They most probably stood in my world.

Wendy, Carla, and I would be here in this world.

Different worlds.

It all clicked in my mind, and Master nodded at us. "I can have the Fairy Tail members here track the other groups, see where they are right now, to establish communication. I'm sure Levy and Freed can break even magic-repelling enchantments. But it all comes down to your choice. Do you choose to take on this dangerous mission that could cost you your lives? Are you willing to risk it?"

I glanced at Wendy and Carla. Their faces expressed their answer-and it was my choice as well.

I spoke for all of us. "We have a chance to save so many people. Would we ever turn down the opportunity to help our friends-and even those who we have never met?"

Master smiled at us, brimming with approval. "Thank you, Amu, Wendy, Carla. I suggest you get packing...it'll be a long trip."

Unwanted-

How could I have ever thought I was unwanted? So many people needed me. Everyone from random infected strangers to close friends like Ikuto ...

We all have a purpose.

* * *

**Sky: Gotta go no time to have conversations bye.**

**Ikuto: That was fast.**


	13. Erza Goes Crazy Over a Locket

**Chapter 13**

** Last time, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy were captured by Mr. Director. Wendy, Amu, and Carla prepared to embark on a mission to obtain a power that could cure the sickness.**

**Varshini: Hey guys I'm back!**

**Gray: Finally! What took you so long? **

**Sky: I was busy with school. And when no one reviews, it's kind of hard to get motivated.**

**Lucy: It only takes a minute, so why can't you-**

**Sky: Be quiet Lucy, I promised myself I wouldn't become a writer who becomes desperate about reviews.**

**Natsu: You already are desperate.**

**Sky: Why you...**

**Amu: Just...start the story!**

Ikuto's P.O.V

My legs gave way beneath me as I stumbled over a rock and landed face first in the water, my Character Transformation undoing itself.

I groaned, sitting up and shaking the cool stream water from me. Ahead of me, Erza stopped and whirled around, rushing over to the stream where I now knelt in.

At this point you would expect something along the lines of 'Ikuto, are you okay?' or ' Here, let me help you up.'

But this young lady by the name of Erza was too high and mighty for that.

"Ikuto! What do you think you're doing?! Stand up and keep going!" It was amazing I had ever looked up to this monster.

"We've been chasing those three weirdos for three days now! We haven't slept or eaten at all and you expect me to keep running?!" I yelled at Erza, still knee deep in water.

" Ikuto's...right...Erza." panted Gray, catching up to us "Why're...we...even...chasing?"

Ever since those people we had fought in the small town had upped and left, we had followed.

Only on Erza's claim that they had taken something of hers-just a little locket. All this trouble for one locket.

" They're getting away! Hurry!" Erza yanked me onto my feet, and I literally swayed before crashing back into the water, achingly dizzy. Hunger and exhaustion clawed at my senses, and I realized that I had pushed my limit.

"Ikuto, come on!" Erza's voice rose to a panicked tone.

Gray shoved the redheaded wizard onto the ground, causing her to cry out in anger.

"Just give it up! We're never gonna get that locket and you can't seem to accept it. Those guys are undefeatable-I couldn't even beat that wizard Cyrulea after I had found out her magic! So when we're desperately hungry and tired, why don't you just let us rest?"

Erza stared after Cyru-whatever and her friends hopelessly. "They can't take it away..." She made a move to stand up and continue chasing them, but Gray kept her down. Where he found his strength I had no clue.

"Erza. Listen to me." he commanded in a low voice. "The locket-I'm sorry, but you're just not gonna get it back."

At that point, Erza snapped. She flung Gray into the water with such force that he went underwater, and I hauled him out as Erza became a shrinking speck in the distance.

Boy, that girl moves fast.

"Erza..." breathed Gray, and in a flash he was up and running too.

"Gray!" I struggled out of the water and jumped him from the back, pinning him down like he had to Erza. "What are you doing?!"

Gray made an attempt to wrest his way out of my grip.

And then everything went white.

Not black, white.

"Ugh..." I was trapped in a huge amount of ice that spiked and twisted in every direction. The burst of magic must have been Gray's sheer instinct and willpower, judging by the wild magic that now trapped me. A pain dug into my shoulder, and I realized that Yoru was literally pinned on to me.

"Yoru! Can we transform and get out of here?"

"You're outta energy. We're stuck here-nya."

I kicked at the rock-hard frozen whiteness, but the magic had molded its way perfectly around my figure with only a little room for air. There was simply no escaping.

Oh, Gray...

I began to shiver from the intense cold. Seriously, I was trapped in a giant block of ICE!

But it really was hopeless.

No, I was hopeless.

I was the strongest back home, only beaten by the carefully masterminded schemes of Easter. But these new people, these _wizards_... I couldn't even hold a candle to Erza or Gray.

Why couldn't I just be stronger?

"Ikuto!" Yoru screamed, just as I was alerted to a bright light glowing from my violin case. (Yes, my violin was still with me.) Looking down as far as I could with my head trapped in ice, I glimpsed the Dumpty Key at my side, bursting with power, and then-

In a thousand sparkling shards of ice, I was free and transformed into Black Lynx.

But it wasn't the Black Lynx I was used to.

Th air around me crackled with power, and I could feel the new energy within me. Unfurled one clawed hand, I stared in awe at my new found magic. The Dumpty Key still shone, holding Yoru and I together, binding us with power I had never even dreamt of.

"What did you do-nya?!" exclaimed Yoru's voice from inside me.

"I didn't do anything, the Key did!"

"Well, what're we gonna do now-nya?"

"Chase after Gray and Erza, of course."

I prepared to take off into the sky.

_"Ikuto!"_

I stopped dead in my tracks at the sound of a young girl's voice.

"Amu...?"

_"Ikuto, can you hear me? Ikuto!"_

I glanced around wildly, but there was no sign of my pink haired friend. "Where are you?" It was almost as though she was speaking from inside my head. Maybe I was going crazy and hallucinating her voice...

_"I'm at Fairy Tail, and I'm using telepathy to communicate. Plus I can hear what you say aloud."_

"You can't hear my thoughts, can you?!" It nearly (nearly) made me blush to imagine all the embarrassing things Amu could find out about me.

_"No. But I didn't think you'd be so embarrassed by that..." _ Amu chuckled to herself and I sighed. If she dares to tease me I will get her good as soon as I could get my hands on her. Which wouldn't be too soon, judging from the fact that we were in different worlds.

"Amu. Anyway, a lot's been happening which I can tell you later, but now I have to kind of chase Erza and Gray. Oh yeah-I got a power boost." I took off, speeding through the air at incredible speeds as Yoru worked within me.

_"But, Ikuto, Master told us..." _As I drew nearer to Gray's body darting across the landscape, Amu explained to me of multi-world mountains and ultimate power-light-whatevers.

And my father.

Silencing my uncomfortable pain of not being told these things by my own father, I narrated my tale.

We had met Utau,

and we fought those people,

who escaped with Erza's locket,

and that now I was chasing Gray who was chasing Erza who was chasing the thieves.

I waited patiently as Amu parroted my story to Master, and when she came back she was not happy.

"_Master says that he gave the locket to Erza, and that it's a charm that connects Fairy Tail to it's founding master, Mavis Vermilion. If they steal it, then they'll have control over her immense power."_

"And here I was wondering why she was so fond of a little keepsake..." I shook my head and redoubled my speed, calm as always.

The network of telepathy spread until Erza, Gray, Amu, Wendy, and Carla were all blasting around in my head like a bunch of noisy animals. Only Natsu, Lucy, and Happy were missing but we were getting close to connecting with their magic-free world.

Fairy Tail united with Character Bearers as our individual goals merged into one mission.

No matter what we had to do along the way, we would all reunite once more.

I was sure of it.

Natsu's P.O.V

"Wha...?" Shaking myself out of unconsciousness, I tried to make sense of what was going on.

Only one thing caught my attention.

Mr. Director with sharp metal thingy, pointed straight at the terrified body of...

"LUCY!" I screamed, and she glanced over at me. The tiny shake of her head she gave me was more than enough to say that she had already given up.

As she turned, the razor like edge of the handcuff cut right across her right hand.

Straight through her Fairy Tail mark.

She stared at the pink insignia, and new hope burned like fire in her eyes. She set her mouth in a straight, determined line, and I could feel the immense concentration emanating off of her.

"Prepare for the punishment of those who break the rules of Paradise!" roared Mr. Director.

"Lucy, watch out!" cried Happy.

The point of the instrument sparked with lethal magic, probably the only magic in this world. All thoughts were driven from my head as I made one final struggle to break free. But the chains held fast and unyielding.

And then-

My enhanced hearing caught the faintest whisper from Lucy.

"Open, Gate of the Lion: Loke!"

The idiot! We couldn't use magic in this world!

But in a flash of golden light, Loke stood in a catlike stance, repelling the magic machine with a shield of magic.

"Magic?!" spat Mr. Director in shock.

"Go, Loke!" Lucy called to the spirit also known as Leo.

"Always, my princess. REGULUS BLAST!" The power of the stars shot from Loke's hand as the whole place, chains and all, was blasted up.

For once, I hadn't caused any destruction.

With no wall to pin me to, the chains fell useless to the ground. I rushed to Lucy's side, picking up Happy on the way.

"Lucy! You used-"

_"One more time, everyone."_

_"NATSU!"_

_"Where are those idiots?"_

_"Why doesn't this stupid thing work on them?!"_

_"This non-magic stuff is unbreakable!"_

_"OY, FLAMEBRAIN!"_

Out of the sudden cacophony of familiar voices blaring in my mind, Gray's exasperated yell caught my attention the most.

"What did you say, Ice Princess?"

Lucy was staring at me blankly, trying to process why I had just insulted Gray, who she probably couldn't hear.

"Natsu, are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, everyone's just talking in my head. Wonder why..."

"You don't sound okay." Happy commented dispassionately.

_"Wait, Natsu-san?" _Wendy's high voice echoed in my head.

_"It broke through?" _The low sound of Ikuto's voice questioned.

_"Let's try connecting with the others." _Erza commanding tone rung in my brain like one of her sharp punches.

"What're you people doin' in my HEAD?!" I roared, much to Lucy and Happy's surprise.

"Uh, Natsu...?" Lucy examined me. "I didn't cause brain damage to you when I strangled you, did I?" She suddenly jolted upwards, shock etched on her face.

"Amu?" she gasped. "Carla? Ikuto?"

Happy's mouth dropped into a perfect O. "Wendy? Gray? Erza?"

I sighed in relief. "Oh, you hear them too."

"Well, yeah duh!"

"Didn't sound so sure when you were wondering if I had brain damage!" I drawled as Lucy made a angry noise between a snort and a yell.

_"Will someone please explain what you two are talking about and how Natsu-san got brain damage?" _Amu demanded.

"Oh, just call me Natsu. And Lucy strangled me, that's what happened."

Amu made a noise as if she was being strangled.

_"You people are all so crazy, it's wonder that you haven't all killed each other by now." _Ikuto deadpanned.

"Wait, how did you get in our heads anyway?" Happy cocked his head to one head as if to tip all the voices inside of it out.

Erza began explaining all the technicalities of telepathy as Lucy, Happy and I picked our way out of the remains of Mr. Director's building.

Wendy explained our mission as I peered out to the range of scraggly but tall mountains in the distance. There was one in particular, topped with snow and nearly glowing, that seemed to stand out.

"Team Nalupy takes the lead. I see the mountain!" I announced.

_"Since when was this a competition?" _Gray sneered.

"Nalupy?!" cried Lucy.

Happy raised a paw triumphantly. "I get it! Natsu+Lucy+Happy=Nalupy!"

"Don't bring math into this." I groaned.

_"In that case, we have just become Team IAC, short for Ice Armor Cat." _announced Erza.

_"That's kinda lame-"_ began Ikuto, but was silenced, probably by Erza's glare. _"Whatever you say, ma'am!" _he squeaked.

_"U-um, if we are making team names, can we be, um..." _Our shy little Wendy spoke up.

_"Amulet Sky Dragon! Amulet for me, Sky for Carla, who flies, and Dragon for Wendy!" _finished Amu.

_"Plus, Wendy's a Sky Dragon Slayer." _Carla added.

I grinned as I listened to the voices of my friends, new and old, as they discussed incredibly stupid team names. Somehow everything seemed much brighter and this dark mission was just like another job with my friends.

This journey was only getting started.

_In the commotion of Loke's explosion, a little vortex slipped away from the destruction._

_With settings spinning from Earth to Earthland to Edolas to Paradise and countless more, the portal began an aimless journey of its own._

_Of where, there was no telling._

**Sky: I really like writing humor, but I never do it.**

**Lucy: Nalupy?!**

**Gray: Ice Armor Cat?!**

**Amu: Amulet Sky Dragon?!**

**Sky: What? I'm bad with team names.**

**Ikuto: Why did we even need teams anyway?**

**Sky: ...because they're fun?**


	14. Wendy Paid the Price of Keeping Secrets

**Chapter 14**

** Last time, Erza had a locket stolen from her that connected to Mavis, the First Master of Fairy Tail. Ikuto recieved a power-up, Lucy broke away from , and the telepathy was sent out to the whole group.**

**Sky: Everyone, please check out my new Shugo Chara story, Nameless, Faceless! It's a little more sentimental than this, but I think if you like The Ultimate you'll like it.**

**Amu: Basically its an AU where I'm a depressed ghost.**

**Sky: Putting Amu's awkward comment aside, I have rewatched a couple of episodes of Shugo Chara and I have decided that Ikuto needs to tease Amu much, much more!**

**Ikuto: Yes!**

**Amu: NOOOOOOO!**

**Happy: He llllll-**

**Lucy: *stuffs a fish in Happy's mouth* Oh no you don't!**

* * *

Wendy's P.O.V

_"Hey, Ice Princess-"_

_"Don't call me that. FLAMEBRAIN!"_

_"Gray! Stop this nonsense at once!"_

_"A-as you wish, Erza!"_

_"Natsu, can't we take a break?"_

_"I want a fish!"_

"Sometimes it gets a little bit noisy with all the people..." I sighed to Amu-chan. She paid no attention to my comment, though, as Ikuto-san was currently drawling something to her that promptly made her turn redder than I thought was possible.

"Ikuto! Why, you-"

_"What, Amu? Did I happen to say something offensive?" _

"YES!"

_"Oh. Well, then I'm extremely not sorry for embarrassing you."_

"I-I'm not embarrassed!"

_"You're blushing right now, aren't you."_

"Of course not!"

_"Oh, Amu...always in denial...you're gonna drown unless you climb a pyramid."_

See? It was always Amu-chan and Ikuto-san, Gray-san and Natsu-san, so much noise. Of course I didn't mean to insult them, but I really wished that I could somehow cut off the connection once in a while.

My train of thoughts was broken by a silence, echoing in my head.

Silence?

"Ikuto, what does that even mean? Is that supposed to be a joke?" Amu-chan fumed out loud.

If she was still talking to Ikuto-san, that meant...

"You still hear them?" I asked the ranting girl beside me. Carla answered for her, "Of course we do! Why wouldn't we?"

"The Nile?! Really?" Amu-chan cried, oblivious to our conversation.

Punctuated by Amu-chan's occasional exasperated comment, I told Carla how I had, just by willing it to happen, turned off the connection. Carla then relayed it to everyone else, who all rejoiced at this new discovery (except Ikuto).

"What, what? What happened to everyone?" Amu-chan resurfaced from rant-world when everyone disappeared from her head, and I patiently explained over again.

"Oh, cool." was her only response.

Carla shook her furry white head. "I thought you would be elated to have an absence of teasing!"

Amu-chan pouted. "I am! I'm used to arguing, that's all. So I'm not annoyed or happy."

I laughed lightly, gazing out at the expanse of land we had yet to cross. "Enough wasting time, everyone. We really have to get going."

The hours slid by as we idly discussed the baffling questions that had arisen from our collaboration with the others.

"Hey, Wendy, why d'you think Lucy was able to use magic right before our telepathy broke through?" Amu-chan played with her Shugo Chara as she spoke.

"Well, something other than us might have broken the whole magic barrier, and it was just coincidence that it saved Lucy-san's life."

"Or," Carla chimed in, "Lucy's sheer willpower broke the magical barrier so she could summon Loke and our telepathy broke through."

Amu-chan stared at us. "You guys are smart..."

The day that would have seemed so long alone passed by in minutes of happiness with friends.

Late lunchtime.

Picnic on the grass.

Laughter,

Jokes about Erza-san's dream picnic.

Walking.

Talking,

About Aruto-san, who we decided was too far away to consult,

And who was stil possessed.

Afternoon.

Sunshine.

Tired feet,

That we ignore.

Questions from Amu-chan,

Who is Mavis Vermilion?

Explaining,

About the little spirit who had founded Fiore's strongest guild-

Fairy Tail.

Evening.

Water,

A great expanse before us,

Just barely a lake-

More like a little ocean.

Beyond,

Mountains.

Circled on my map.

Mountains to look into,

Mountains that could hold the special one.

Dinnertime.

Finding the food,

Wishing that Natsu was there

To help us with this stubborn fire.

Dinner, finished.

Amu-chan, alone by the lake.

Staring into the sunset.

"Amu-chan, are you okay?" I sat down beside her, leaving Carla behind at the fire.

"Fine. It's just..." she trailed off.

"What is it?" I prompted, wondering what heavy topic was on her mind.

"Rima liked sunsets." she finished abruptly.

"What...?" I asked uncertainly.

Amu-chan smiled sadly. "My friend back home. No, my best friend-she'd like to hear that."

Rima-somehow the name sounded familiar. Where had I heard it before?

_ "Rima! Tadase-kun! Nagi-" _

"She's one of your friends, right? Who ..."

Amu-chan nodded. "They're fighting against the sickness in our world with the help of those three people from your world-Ultear, Jellal, and Meldy."

I recalled the faces of Amu-chan's friends, a good five or so people. "You have a lot of friends..."

Amu-chan toyed with the lock around her neck which seemed to help her transform. "Well, I mean, Shugo Chara bring you together... but don't you have Natsu and the rest as friends?"

"Well, sure, I mean, we all care for each other. But I actually joined that group last, and I also happen to be much younger, and very shy...I just sometimes feel...like Carla is my only special friend..." I tried to keep the bitterness from my voice, but it was no use.

"You have me."

I turned to look at Amu-chan so fast that she flinched. So many words were ready to tumble out, because I couldn't be Amu-chan's friend.

Not after what I had done to her that night.

The one night I blocked from my mind when I spoke to Amu-chan, the one night that haunted my dreams.

"Amu-chan, you don't want to be my friend."

"What...?"

"I-I overheard you t-talking to I-Ikuto, at night wh-when we were a-at Lucy's place, and I didn't...I didn't tell you!" I wailed.

Amu-chan's face morphed into disappointment. "Wendy, you..."

"I'm sorry!" I ran as fast as I could, as far away from the only person who had ever thought to call me a friend...

My magic kicked in and soon I was flying at the speed of a howling gale, everything whizzing past me in a colorful blur. It was like I was trying to leave my guilt and sadness behind, but it just kept gnawing at my heart.

Why was this world so cruel?

Everything rushed upward as a giant hand snatched me higher than I ever dared to fly. The air was crushed out of me and I screamed, struggling against the giant that had trapped me. But it was futile.

My eyes widened as razor sharp teeth as large as I was came nearer, and nearer...

"Spiral Heart Special!"

A whirl of pink flew in a neat circle around my captor, instantly paralyzing it. A very familiar hand snatched me out of the giant's grip, flying using a pair of winged sneakers.

It was her, transformed.

"Amu-chan...?"

She gave me a friendly grin. "Friends help each other out, right?"

Erza's P.O.V

"Where are we even going, anyway?" Gray dragged his feet along the half frozen ground.

"There." Ikuto pointed a lazy hand at distant mountain peaks. "We're at the very edge of France, thankfully, and those are the 's Europe's highest mountain range, and the mountain have got to be there."

"Hey, hey, Ikuto, aren't there bigger mountains in Africa or something?" Yoru asked.

Ikuto smirked. "Idiot, you mean Asia."

"My Void Armor, if not given a certain location, will not choose a random place. I believe it was trying to lead us to the mountain we are searching for when I took you two away from Zeref." I spoke in a monotone, keeping my eyes on the light dusting of snow that now coated the ground.

Gray approached me, concerned. "Erza...are you still upset about the locket?"

I pursed my lips. The ice wizard had hit the nail on the head.

That locket was dangerous in the hands of enemies, and Master had trusted me, not Laxus, not Mira, not Gildarts, but me, to keep it safe.

And I had let him down.

Low-voiced, I began to tell my story.

_Flashback _

_"Natsu! Gray! Stop fighting at once!" fifteen year old me scolded the squabbling boys._

_"Erza!" Master called from the top of the counter, and I abandoned Natsu and Gray at once to talk to my master._

_"Yes, Master?" I held myself high, long braid swinging over one shoulder. I practically exuded confidence from every ounce of my body._

_Master sighed, not knowing where to begin. I raised one eyebrow, wondering what he wanted. Maybe a difficult quest, or something...I was, after all-_

_"As you know you are now an S-class wizard, after the trial two weeks ago." I smirked in a sickening, self-satisfied kind of way. "There is an object I bear that I must, eventually, pass on to one of the most responsible and strong guild members. Naturally, this would only be an S-class mage." Master looked me directly in the eyes, and I gave a barely audible gasp. Could it be..._

_Master continued, listing all the current S-class wizards. "Mystogan I do not trust enough; he is so secretive. Gildarts is away on dangerous missions for years at a time, so that counts him out. And Laxus...you might think, seeing as he is my grandson, but he just can't take on this responsibility. And that leaves you, Erza Scarlet."_

_"Me...?"_

_"Master held out a locket to me, and as my hand closed on the cold metal he murmured, "This locket holds the immeasurable power of Fairy Tail's Founding Master, Mavis Vermilion. Do you believe you are capable of taking care of this locket, to never lose it?"_

_And the self-confident me, the smug girl who thought that being S-class meant that she was undefeatable, answered without hesitation._

_"Of course. I won't let you down, Master."_

_Flashback end_

"Erza?" Gray avoided eye contact with me. "You're gonna have to tell Master sometime, you know. We have direct access to him through telepathy."

I hung my head, letting locks of scarlet hair cloak my face and all its emotions.

How could I tell him that I had broken his trust?

"I'm just...I'm just an idiot. I wish...if I could go back in time to that day, I would have refused the locket." I sunk to my knees, and it was like the snow was freezing my heart as well as my body.

Ikuto smiled faintly, reaching out a hand to pull me up. "Nobody's perfect, Erza. We all have our weak points, and it just so happened that four years ago yours was over-confidence."

I took his hand, pulling myself to a standing position. "Not now, though. So many things happened in those years, and I am...a different person."

"Aren't we all, after everything that's happened?" Gray raised his head to the sky, and I followed suit.

I gazed at the clouds, and three figures descending from them.

Wait, figures?

"There are people! Flying!" gasped Ikuto, waving his hands frantically, all maturity forgotten.

I stumbled backwards in shock as the three people became visible.

A woman, with pale blue hair highlighted with ocean blue and tied up high behind her head. She wore a regal dress that made her look like some ancient queen.

A teenager younger than us by a few years, dressed in metallic colors primarily of red with glistening gloves and high boots. Her hair hung by her shoulders in a shade of red that surpassed mine. She was almost like a futuristic princess.

And a man I recognized all too well, with tousled black hair and a casually wrinkled suit, completely normal if not for his shockingly lime green eyes.

The man who had fought me and left.

Left with my locket.

"You! It's the thought person! Cyrulea!" Gray screamed at the blue haired lady, who he had apparently fought.

"You're that Silrouge person, aren't you?!" Ikuto all but shouted at the younger girl.

"Kablan..." I glared at the thief who had taken my locket.

He chuckled, lightly tossing me something shiny. Out of reflex I caught it, only to be staring at my very own locket.

"You're giving it back?!" Yoru exclaimed.

Cyrulea adjusted her headband. "Of course. We just wanted to bring you three closer in order for your mission to succeed."

Ikuto gave them a look that resembled a constipated gorilla. "Why are you three random people meddling in our personal lives?"

Silrouge turned her piercing gaze upon Ikuto. "We're helping you out. You should be grateful."

I tried to connect the dots between us and them and the locket, and it finally clicked into place. "You took away the locket so I would admit I was wrong to take it in the first place?"

Kablan tugged at his collar. "Kind of. We wanted you to accept that sometimes having the most responsibility doesn't make you the best. You already knew that, deep inside of you. But when you admitted it to others, that was when we saw fit to give your locket back."

Yeah, Ikuto's right. These people are totally messing around with my life.

"But...who are you, and why would you want to help us?" Gray demanded.

Silrouge kept her passive expression as she answered, "You will find out, sooner or later. Or never-"

Cyrulea and Kablan were already leaving, and Cyrulea called "Silrouge! We've got to get back home!" She said it with almost a kind of sadness, as if 'home' was not where she wanted to be.

Silrouge sighed. "All right...I'm coming. Well, then, Ikuto, Gray, Erza, I hope we meet again."

She stepped into sync with her two companions and vanished.

We all stared after them, shocked, and I broke the silence by reconnecting everyone via telepathy.

_"Erza?!"_

_"I thought we didn't-"_

"Listen up, everyone. We got big news."

* * *

**Varshini: YAY IT'S DONE!**

**Ikuto: I didn't know you hated us that much. T_T**

**Erza: I didn't know you could 'talk' emoticons...XD I did it!**

** Happy: Fish... **

**Amu: Wh-what was he going to say, in the conversation before the chapter?**

**Gray: *chuckles* If it was what I think it was, then you don't want to know.**

**Erza: Happy! Repeat what you said at once!**

***Happy finishes his fish***

**Happy: Oh Erza, what I said was-**

**Lucy: Please for Amu's sake finish the chapter!**

**Amu: Th-that's what... he said...*turns extremely red and flops on the ground***


	15. Lucy and Natsu Get Caught

**Chapter 15**

**Last time, Wendy confessed to Amu that she had overheard the nighttime conversation in Chapter 4. Erza realized her over-confidence when she took the locket four years ago, and the 'thieves' gave it back.**

**Ikuto: Why am I blindfolded?**

**Amu: *whispers to Wendy* If Ikuto finds out that you heard the conversation, he'll never get over it.**

**Ikuto: I swear I just heard my name...**

**Sky: Well, nonexistent readers (excluding Yua-hime of course, who actually exists) hope you like the chapter! I basically update once a week without really expecting anything. But I'm not upset, because my other story has 6 reviews after only 3 chapters!**

* * *

Lucy's P.O.V

_"Listen up, everyone. We got big news." _Erza's imposing voice ran through my head like a electric shock, and I jumped a foot into the air.

Slowly, everyone else's voices sparked to life, and before I knew it the familiar cacophonyof voices blared in my head.

_"Erza, it's not really big news..."_

_"Well Gray, they did do something really surprising."_

_"Don't correct me, Ikuto!"_

Then Wendy's high voice, broken and strained.

_"Please-one second, we're-Wing Slash of the Sky Dragon!-fighting-"_

Fighting?

Oh no. Not them, why them?

_"So let us finish-Switch Off, Su! Amulet Clover!-we'll talk later-" _Amu yelled, and the two focused back on their opponent.

Amu and Wendy. The two youngest girls in the group, without the one cat who could only provide flight aid to Wendy and nothing else. Heart pounding, I listened intently to the battle that followed.

_"HAAAH!" _Amu must be attacking...

_"Amu-chan, pepper?!" _Wendy rarely sounded exasperated, but for once she seemed annoyed.

_"Wait for it..."_

Then simultaneously, they screamed, _"AAAAH!"_

Please please please, let them be okay...

_"That was some sneeze, even for a monster..."_

Sneeze?!

_"Hurry, Wendy! It'll only be dazed for a moment...Switch Off! Amulet Spade!"_

Carla's voice burst through. _"You guys! are you okay, I thought-" _So they had been separated...

_"Please, Carla, we need to fly!"_

_"I'm on it!"_

_"Colorful CANVAS! It's trapped, Wendy, go!"_

_"ROAR OF THE SKY DRAGON!"_

A long silence echoed from Wendy, Amu, and Carla. the rest of us waited, on edge, anxious beyond breaking point...

_"All right!" _Amu...

_"We did it!" _Wendy...

_"But will someone please explain-" _And Carla! They defeated...whatever monster that was!

_"Amu, you defeated a monster and you're not a pile of Amu-colored pieces? I didn't know you could fight..." _Ikuto sounded so flustered and anxious for his friend that I had to suppress a chuckle. Calm and cool Ikuto just disappeared in a flash.

_"Ikuto, you're so mean! And yes, I'm fine."_

_"I didn't ask that!"_

_"Someone get a video camera, a whining Ikuto is a once-in-a-lifetime experience."_

And just like that, it was over. Since were those three capable of such feats?

_"And the they gave it back, and went off." _Erza finished. My mouth had dropped into an O so big I didn't even think it was possible, but their story was just unbelievable.

"I thought they were bad guys!" Natsu exclaimed.

Gray snickered and replied, _"They're good guys, you doofus. They just, like wanted Erza to become more humble."_

_"Hey! I was only conceited back then!" _

_"Ya know..." _Ikuto began thoughtfully, _"I feel like those people had some resemblance to me. They looked different, but something about them-"_

Amu cut him off. _"It must have been how they acted. Manipulative, secretive, and clever-that's like a mirror image of your personality!"_

_"That's only one good adjective-clever. And I can justify secretive, but manipulative?!" _hedefended.

_"Ikuto-san, Amu-chan, the most important thing right now is not your resemblance to those three." _Wendy chided gently. Wow, I never thought I'd see (well, hear) Wendy scold somebody. But she was right.

"We need to get going. Goodness knows how bad the sickness has gotten-it's been nearly six days." I stretched, preparing to leave the cave we had slept in most of today.

_"Uh, Lucy? It's ten p.m."_

I chuckled. "I know. We decided this morning that we would travel by night because it'll be harder for to track us."

Happy went all serious, assuming a hilariously low voice and growling, "Team Nalupy, out."

Everyone else slowly left our heads, leaving us alone with only the dark night to keep us company.

"Lucy." Natsu motioned for me to come out, indicating hat it was safe. We crept out from our little cave dwelling, Happy flying silently behind us. Now that we had our magic back, Natsu could keep us warm and our path lit. I guess this wouldn't be so bad-the mountain was fast approaching and we would probably be able to start climbing it by tomorrow. And then...we would have to ask those sages who protected the power to take it. If they refused, well...I didn't even want to think about it.

I tried to blend into the shadows, pulling the black cape Virgo had given me over my head. From tree to tree, rock to rock, it was like a game of how long we could stay hidden.

But even in games, the players will eventually get found out.

"Something smells off." Natsu whispered to me, sniffing the air intently.

"Did he find us already?" Happy whimpered.

Something in the atmosphere shifted then, and the most dreaded figure to me strolled out into the dark moonlight. "You seem to have forgotten that I am so much more powerful than you. You have no idea...what one can achieve in this so called 'junkyard'." he drawled, running one hand through tousled brown hair.

Junkyard. So that was why all those monsters had been so weak.

"You also seem to have forgotten that we got our magic back. We need to get something, and annihilating you is an added bonus." Natsu snarled in reply, whole body already blazing with flames of anger.

I swept out my keys, making sure to keep Amu's and Ikuto's in my pouch. They were needed where they were, and though I could summon them, there would be no point.

"Open, Gate of the Ram! Aries!" The shy Spirit turned to look at me as soon as she appeared, pink curls bouncing around her shoulders. "I'm sorry! What can I do for you? I'm sorry!"

"Trap that man, Aries!"

"Wool Bomb! Um, is that okay? I apologize if it's not good enough..." Aries glanced at suffocating in a mass of pink wool. It was so hilarious that I would have burst out laughing if we were not in a life-and-death situation.

"You were great, Aries." I sent the Ram back and readied Cancer, but Natsu was already making his move.

"Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!" Mr. Director and Natsu vanished in a plume of flames and I smirked, knowing that a man with no magic like could never take an attack like that.

The smoke cleared, and my eyes widened.

Panic burst out of in in a cry of terror as I watched Natsu struggle on the ground, heavily injured, while emerged unscathed.

He raised a terrifyingly long weapon into the air, suit not even wrinkled. Silhouetted against the silver moon, he laughed menacingly. "You seem to have forgotten that I hold magical weapons. And they have more power than you little wizards will ever have."

Amu's P.O.V (Morning)

A chilly breeze woke me from my peaceful sleep, and I found Wendy already making breakfast.

"How long have you been up?" I yawned.

"Not long. Carla's scouting the lake to try and find a way around."

"Oh..." It was honestly really awkward, because no matter how many monsters friends fought together, there was nothing like time to get to know each other.

Time.

Something we never had on this mission.

"Amu-chan, you're spacing out." Wendy's gentle voice brought me back to earth.

"Sorry."

"That's fine..." Wendy trailed off, squinting into the sky in some hope of finding her white cat.

"That mountain-you said it was called Mount Snowdrop-seems so far away. Will we ever get to the top?" It made me shudder just to think of scaling those barren cliffs and huge snowdrifts.

"Somehow, we have to. The world is depending on us." Wendy's brown eyes darkened, as if hope had deserted her as well.

It didn't help when, an hour later, Carla returned with a grim expression. "To go around would take at least two weeks. That lake is impossibly large, and if we used magic we would tire about halfway through and plummet into the water like stones." she announced crisply.

"That sounds pleasant." I replied, voice laced with sarcasm.

"Why don't we ask everyone else what to do?" Wendy suggested, and I could feel the network of telepathy beginning to connect.

"Wait!" I called on impulse. "I mean, uh, won't Natsu, Lucy, and Happy be sleeping?"

Carla cast me a confused glance. "Yes, but won't Erza, Gray, and Ikuto be available?"

I could feel my face heating up, and I stammered a reply. "Wh-why didn't I think of that?"

The truth was, though. I was sick and tired of being treated like I was not so capable, just because I was a kid. Wendy was used to it, but where I came from I was almost always the leader.

The heroine, even.

"Amu-chan, maybe I shouldn't get the help of the others..." I turned to look at Wendy. Could it be that she felt the same way as I did?

"...It might disturb them from something important."

Would that girl ever be able to stand up for herself?!

"Wendy, you have every right to ask them. You aren't any weaker than they are, and though I think we can accomplish this by ourselves, you shouldn't feel like you can't ask for help."

Carla broke into my speech. "See, Wendy? Amu has said in a few words what I have been trying to teach you throughout your time at Caitshelter and Fairy Tail!"

Wendy sighed. "You're right. I guess the others won't be around to baby me forever, and...well, let's get building!"

"Building...?"

Wendy grinned. "A raft powered by my Sky Magic would take no time, right?"

"Draw, drew, drawn!" Miki called, and a pencil appeared in my hand. The Chara Change seemed to open up a new, architectural part of my brain that I never seemed to be able to access otherwise.

"A design like this would be sturdy, light, and fast." I sketched out a pattern in the sand. Wendy nodded, marking a spot at the back of the raft. "I could power the raft from here."

Carla frowned. "That would unbalance it, though."

"Then we would add some weight at the front." Miki flew down and added a marking at the front.

"Right then, smart time is finished. time to do the building! Character Transformation!" Ran's forced transformation enabled me to fly.(not to mention pick up logs at high speed)

Carla found the best places for wood, I sliced it down and cut it up with my Heart Rod, and then Wendy would put it together. We were working so hard, it never occurred to me that even ten minutes had passed, but before I knew it two hours were up.

But two hours had produced one excellent, and very much floatable, raft.

"Wait, everyone, we need some lunch-" Su was the only one who wanted to stay behind; the rest of us clambered onto the raft.

"Roar of the Sky Dragon!" It was just one rush of air, and we were whizzing across the lake at speeds I thought were impossible.

It was about five seconds of pure joy, and then the raft overturned. I choked on water as my lungs struggled for oxygen. I paddled frantically to the surface, yanking the small hand I recognized to be Wendy's up with me. She was holding Caral, who had apparently not been able to activate her wings in time.

Miki was slapping herself repeatedly on the forehead, as Ran and Su soothed her. Dia smiled apologetically. "It seems Miki forgot to account for Wendy's immense power." she said sheepishly.

Wendy glowed at the compliment, despite struggling to stay afloat.

I glanced at the shore, only about fifty feet away. One blast of WendyPower had taken us almost the whole way across.

"I hope you guys can swim."

At first it was easy, Ran Chara Changing with me to keep my energy up. Turns out Wendy and Carla didn't need to swim, as they were flying across. Then Carla would pick me up.

I swam about ten feet towards the bank, and suddenly Ran's Chara Change ended. The little pink Chara landed on my head, completely exhausted with everything she'd been doing.

Turns out I was exhausted too, without Ran.

I could just barely keep floundering for a couple seconds, and then I went under again.

But this time, I couldn't find the strength to swim back up.

Water surrounded my from all sides as my body sank lower and lower. The final gasp of breath in body left me, and I floated down, no longer even able to struggle. My arms and legs hung limp, useless, and it was so painful.

So painful.

The final thing I felt before blacking out was Wendy's arm's pulling me out of the agony.

"Amu-chan? Amu-chan!" Dimly, I could see a fuzzy outline of Wendy bending over me, hands glowing with soothing blue light. The intense pain in my head and chest evaporated, leaving only a dull throb.

"Huh? Wendy?" My vision suddenly shifted back to normal, and Wendy sighed in relief. But her arms were shaking, and Carla was gazing at her anxiously.

"Are you okay?" We both asked each other at the same time.

Wendy chuckled weakly. "I'm fine, just tired. I had to heal you, 'cause you were, well, going to die."

I stared at her. Healing was obviously something exhausting, but she had done it for me.

"You saved my life. Thank you." I reached forward and gave her a warm hug.

Carla pointed at the looming peak ahead of us. "This is all very uplifting, but we still have to climb that. And with you two in states like that, it won't be as easy as we thought."

I gazed down at my own white hands, and Wendy's shaking figure beside me.

I couldn't help but let the fear envelope me, drowning out any shard of hope.

**Varshini: I was gonna end it with Amu nearly drowning (no Wendy saving till the next chapter) but there are too many 'fake deaths' and it's getting repetitive. Plus I like this ending.**

**Gray: What are you gonna do about all Lucy's battle? Cause that takes place in the night and Amu's P.O.V takes place in the day.**

**Sky: I'll probably flash back. **

**Ikuto: You seem gloomy.**

**Sky: Nah not really. I just...**

**Lucy: Wish you could write like me?**

**Sky: I'm gonna kill you... **

**Amu: Read and review, unless you want us all to die!**


	16. Erza and Gray Force Ikuto to be Nice

**Chapter 16**

** Last time, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy were discovered by and are currently being dominated in battle. the next morning, Amu nearly drowns and Wendy heals her, leaving both exhausted.**

**Erza: It seems like this story is coming to an end.**

**Sky: Chapter 20 will be the epilouge, but expect some serious drama before then.**

**Amu: Like what?**

**Sky: You would freak out if I told you.**

**Ikuto: Hmmph. I don't really care.**

**Varshini: You, of all people, should care.**

**Ikuto: Humph.**

**Sky: Anyway...the chapter before the climax...CHAPTER SIXTEEN!**

Gray's P.O.V (About three hours after the end of the previous chapter)

I don't get the word 'cold'.

I mean, sure, I use the spell Ice Make Cold Excalibur, and I know the definition, but as long as I can remember I have never been cold.

At least, not since I started training with Ur to be an ice wizard.

So on this barren, snowy mountain, I felt right at home. It looked like home, it smelled like home, the air even tasted like home.

Erza wasn't wearing anything extra apart from leggings underneath her skirt, but her chest armor was so thick she didn't get any credit. Ikuto had slipped on a light brown jacket and Yoru slept comfortably in the hood.

I tried to approach Ikuto, who was sulking away to glory. "Hey."

He continued to stare at the ground.

"Cat got your tongue?" I asked sarcastically. Any other person (who had Ikuto's feline tendencies) would have laughed or at least smiled, but all Ikuto said was, "Shut up."

"Seriously, man, what's wrong?"

At this point Ikuto turned to glare at me. "Stay outta my life, Ice Wiz." he hissed. I furrowed my eyebrows, wondering why Kitty King was so mad, and then it all clicked.

"Your life and Amu's?"

Ikuto was silent. Big surprise.

"Just 'cause you two arugued, like, for the fiftieth time, doesn't mean that you have to become such a sourpuss."

About two hours ago, we had all connected via telepathy. Amu and Wendy had sounded pretty sick, and obviously we were concerned. Ikuto had asked Amu if she was okay, and told he that if they needed anything they could ask us.

And then Amu blew up.

She yelled a bunch of stuff at Ikuto, things like "I'm not totally incapable!" and "Stop treating us like kids!" Ikuto just stood there dumbstruck until she had finished ranting, and he had barely spoken a word since.

"Stop making cat puns, they're not funny. And it's more than an argument-but you wouldn't understand." Ikuto's footsteps sped up until he was far ahead.

I slowed down until Erza had caught up with me, red hair standing out in the whiteness. "Hey, Erza, do you have any idea why Ikuto's acting so...like he did when we first met him? I mean, I know he and Amu argued, but..."

Erza scrutinized the tiny figure in the distance. "Maybe Amu said something personal or something."

I sighed. "I give up. How can I get that guy to spill?"

Erza shook her head. "Sometimes it's best to leave people alone, but...this time I don't think that's the case." We faced a sheer cliff, and as I tried to find a way around, Erza climbed right up the rock.

"Come on, Gray."

I smiled, glad that Erza wasn't as moody as Ikuto, and I swung up the cliff within seconds with an Ice Rope.

Ikuto was waiting at the top of the cliff.

I walked up to him, looked him in the eye, and commanded, "Spill it."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Why should I?"

"'Cause we can help you."

"Not a chance."

"You really think that?"

"Yep."

Erza clambered over the cliffside (apparently she hadn't used magic) and shoved me out of the way.

"You. What's going on? Don't leave out a detail." She grabbed Ikuto by the collar, glaring in such a menacing way that even I was inclined to shudder.

Ikuto met Erza's eyes.

"You aren't that scary."

Erza grinned creepily. "Oh?" In another second he was on the ground with a sword to his throat.

"I know you can't kill me, Erza." Ikuto rolled his eyes.

Erza sighed, releasing Ikuto and moving away.

Erza...gave up?

ERZA?!

"Look, Ikuto, I can't force you to tell, but it's for your own good. You aren't hurting yourself by telling us."

Ikuto pursed his lips. "Fine."

He refused to look at either of us, but still continued. "Amu's making the same mistakes as I did when I was a kid. 'No one should pity me', 'I can do it by myself'...no one stopped me. And two years ago it nearly got me killed."

The mountains were silent, as if the whole world had stopped to listen.

"Nearly...?"

Ikuto huffed, breath coming out in a puff of steam. "Amu saved me, but what's she gonna do if she falls for the same trap?"

That was it? _That _was what we had persuaded, tackled, and begged him to tell us?

"Then just talk to her. Break inside her head if you have to. Amu's a good kid. She'll understand."

Ikuto stood up. "Yeah. I guess you're right. But the problem is...ever since I met Amu, I felt like I had to protect her. I was sixteen then, and she was only eleven. Eleven! She knew nothing about how horrible life can get, and I did. At eleven, my problems had started. I didn't want her-or anyone, for that matter-to go through what I did."

I gazed up past Ikuto, to the summit of the snowcapped mountain.

Home was where Ul used to be.

I was not even eleven when she had turned to ice-sacrificed her life for me.

Because of my stupidity.

And even now, at eighteen, I couldn't get over that.

"Look, Ikuto. People do what they do, and you can't change that. You can help them, but how can you grow stronger if you don't have pain first?"

A long silence.

"I'm calling Amu."

"Hey, Amu?"

_"What?!"_

"Don't snap at me."

_"You're not my dad!"_

Apparently the subject of dads were touchy for Ikuto, who mumbled, "What would I know about dads?"

_"Sorry. Wait, I'm mad at you!"_

"Amu, you're acting like I did when I was your age. And you know where trying to be independent got me? Locked in a cell with Easter, forced to summon thousands of X eggs."

Man, that guy is straightforward.

_"So? You don't have to baby me."_

"Amu, you don't know what I would give to have anybody-_anybody-_baby me."

"Really?" I snickered.

"Shut it, Gray."

_"I get it, Ikuto. And wait, since whe did you actually resolve our arguments?"_

"Since never. Erza and Gray made me."

I punched him.

Amu chuckled, and Ikuto cut off the connection. He seemed satisfied enough-and so was I.

"WATCH OUT!" Erza bellowed, her eyes widening.

It all happened so fast.

The rocks came thundering down the mountainside, and in a flash Erza was sheilding us all with her Adamantine Armor. The snow came tumbling after, blanketing us all in white.

"Argh!" the three or four tons Erza was protecting us from finally won the battle, and in a last-ditch attempt to save ourselves I let the ice explode from me in a glitering shield. Ikuto stood over Erza, transfromed, but he couldn't hold with three claws what Erza had in the Ultimate Defense Armor.

And then she was up again, Erza, the Fairy Queen, was radiating power and holding up the entire rockfall/avalanche.

"Run! Get the power, save us all!" she screamed.

"Erza, what are you thinking?!" I yelled, ice shield expanding as I spoke.

"How could you think that we would abandon you, Erza?" Ikuto prepared to slice rocks with gleaming claws.

Erza smiled, barely even strong enough to lift the corners of her mouth.

"Fine. Let's do this together."

Natsu's P.O.V

Flashback to where Lucy's P.O.V left off last chapter

Everything was blurry.

It all hurt so bad, but that didn't matter.

I had dealt with worse.

Lucy was running around calling Spirits left and right, and I really couldn't do anything.

This was when someone would give me a boost, and I could beat the opponent real good.

So why was I still laying here, immobile?

"Open, Gate of the-AARGH!" Lucy screamed in agony as pointed a golden weapon at her chest.

He was electrocuting her!

"LUCY!" I roared, but it was no use. She fell, limp, to the ground.

Fighting the rage of pain that dominated me, I stumbled over to Mr. Director. Anger took over as I glared at his self-satisfied face.

"You will pay."

"Natsu!" Happy called, flying over to me. "You can't! Lucy said-and don't worry, she's alive- to run!"

"I don't care." Flames burned all over me, and my eyes reduced to glowing slits. "Anyone who hurts my friends will never see the light of day again."

Mr. Director was unforgivable. And after all he had done to us, we were supposed to run?!

"Crimson Lotus: EXPLODING FLAME BLADE!" I roared, spinning my arms in a circle. A barrage of fire spun in a spiral, sending Mr. Director flying backwards.

"Natsu..." Lucy slowly pulled herself to a sitting position. "It's no use."

And sure enough, out of the dust came Mr. Director, limping but still in a fighting position.

"Run, Natsu!" Lucy staggered to her feet, yanked me by the arm, and ran.

"I am so much faster than you!" Mr. Director cried. We were already staring up the mountain when the battle began. Now, clear pools indicated that the snowtopped summit was not far ahead.

But could we make it? Even now I was dizzy and weak.

"Natsu." Lucy squinted at me through one eye-the other was bruised shut. "I'm going to call Aquarius, my strongest Spirit, and then I want you to run like you've never run before. With luck she'll slow Mr. Director down enough for us to escape." Lucy drew out the golden key which needed water to be summoned. "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer! AQUARIUS!"

"Lucy, it's Friday." Aquarius hissed. "Friday is the only day of the week I have off. I give you the good fortune of six days, and you just _have _to call me on the seventh! I am returning right now, and don't you dare-"

"Aquarius, I'm begging you! You're the only one who can save us, and I summoned you from such clean water! See!" Lucy pointed at the crystalline pool.

"Fine." Aquarius grumbled.

"And please don't attack us too, we're really weak..." Lucy begged. Aquarius had an odd habit of attacking both her opponents and allies.

"One time favor." Aquarius raised her water jug.

And then the onslaught began.

In the midst of the water (and the water was everywhere) we dashed up the mountain at top speed. Happy flew me up countless cliffs, and Lucy swung up with her flashy magic whip. We glanced down, and Lucy gasped.

Aquarius was sending wave after wave of water at , whose defenses eventually suit crumpled, bruised all over, he raised a shield in one hand-and a weapon in the other.

Aquarius, too busy battling, didn't notice him sneak the weapon closer and closer to the Water Bearer Spirit...

Celestial Spirits were immortal, but they could still feel plain.

"AQUARIUS!" Lucy cried, and the mermaid glanced up.

"Lucy, I got this! Run!" Aquarius had seen the weapon, and she made no attempt to stop it.

If she took the attack, then she could zero in on Mr. Director.

"No! Forced Closure!" Lucy screamed.

Could she really Close a gate from so far away, with almost zero magic power?

Aquarius flickered, then shimmered, then disappeared.

"Thank goodness." Lucy sighed.

And then we took off.

End of Flashback

It's been hours since then, and Mr. Director is still chasing us.

But a wizard has an extraordinary capacity to recover, while a regular human...not so much.

No one's called us by telepathy, and I suppose they think we're sleeping. And honestly, I don't want to hear Gray when we tell him that we're running away. He should fight the psycho himself, then he'd see.

I had settled into a steady pace, but Lucy-who had practically no stamina- looked ready to flop off the cliff we were scaling. Plus, we were getting really high and it was kind of hard to breathe.

Feet crunching in new-fallen snow, we took shelter under a scraggly rock.

"Ya think we lost him?" I asked Lucy.

"Not a chance. We've gotta get to the top before nightfall, which seems to be his strong time."

Happy munched on a fish as he mumbled, "Butch wha if it'sh za wron' mountain?"

"No." Lucy shook her head. "You can feel it in the air. Such great magic power, more than I've ever felt before."

"YOU...!" Mr. Director's crazed roar shook the air.

"Run!"

"MAX SPEED!" Happy's wings glowed blue with his only magic, and we soared into the clouds that hung over the summit.

"Wait! What about Lucy?!" She was swinging up faster than I'd seen her swing before, but even a magic whip can only do so much.

Mr. Director was using a stocky blue weapon that enabled him to spring up whole cliffs like they were nothing. Lucy was tiring, and he was catching up...

"Happy, I'm counting on you."

"Aye!"

Happy swooped down to where Lucy was struggling. Mr. Director's hands were within inches of grabbing her foot...

"Heads up!"

I grabbed Lucy by the ponytail (It was payback for strangling me when she saved me from Lullaby) and Happy, now straining with the effort of carrying two people, flew up into the sky.

He had never taken two for this long. If he lost his magic, then what would become of us?

Happy glowed, his whole body emanating power. In one burst of energy, we collapsed in a heap on the summit.

Looking down below me, I gazed at the deadened, dull landscape of the forbidden with bright Paradise in the distance.

Where our journey, the journey of Lucy, Natsu, and Happy, had begun.

"Hurry!" Lucy had found a door, a beautiful golden door that was the most beautiful thing in all of the Forbidden.

Carrying Happy in my arms, I approached the glowing wonder.

Lucy took a deep breath, and placed one hand on the doorknob.

I put my hand over her delicate fingers, and Happy's paw landed next to my hand.

Together, Team Nalupy pulled the golden door open.

Whatever may lie behind it, we were ready.

* * *

_Barely standing and freezing with cold, Wendy, Amu, and Carla yanked their silver door atop Mount Snowdrop open._

_Gasping with effort, Ikuto, Erza, and Gray limped over to their bronze door and twisted the doorknob._

_Three doors, seven people, two Exceeds, five Shugo Chara. _

_The doors to save the world opened._

* * *

**Natsu: YEAH LETS GET THIS CLIMAX STARTED!**

**Varshini: Trust me you guys are not gonna like the next chapter.**

**Amu: What? Why not.**

**Varshini: Oh, Amu. *shudders* You'll see.**

**Wendy: I'm scared!**

**Varshini: You should be.**


	17. Stumble and Fall

**Chapter 17**

**Last time, Ikuto resolves an argument with Amu but he and his group are nearly killed by a rockfall. Lucy, Natsu, and Happy escape from Mr. Director, and all the groups reach the top of their mountains.**

**Sky: People who read Nameless, Faceless, my other story, I have an announcement: IT WILL BE AT LEAST ANOTHER WEEK BEFORE I WILL UPDATE. I am super busy and this chapter was extremely hard to write.**

**Amu: Yes one more week when I don't have to be a depressed ghost!**

**Sky: You're not depressed...and that's right...you...Nameless, Faceless...*sniffles***

**Natsu: Whaaaaaa?**

* * *

Wendy's P.O.V

It was all so...white.

Like the world's biggest fog had cloaked us all, leaving me nothing to see but this whiteness.

"Wendy? Wendy!" Amu-chan's voice rung through the silence.

"I'm here. Where's Carla?"

"Right here."

But where were the others? There was a door, it had to be the right mountain.

"Hey! Anyone there?" Natsu called.

"Keep it down! For all we know this could be a trap." And there came Lucy's voice, always on the alert and always with a plan.

"Aye! Wait, never mind I'm on Natsu's side!"

"Happy?"

"Carla?"

"Lucy?"

"Amu?"

"Natsu-san?"

"Wendy?"

And then, new voices.

"Where are we?"

"Erza, is that you?"

"Lucy!"

"Wait, Lucy's here, so-"

"Oh, Gray!"

"Natsu?"

"Are the rest here too?"

"Wait, Ikuto?"

"Amu?"

I couldn't see anybody, but my Dragon Slayer sense of smell led me to my friends, the friends from which I had been separated from for so long. It was a many-armed group hug, and though it was awkward and uncomfortable, it seemed like the best thing in the world to me.

Together, we stumbled through the mist. I was exhausted, but new energy sprang to life within me the moment we reunited. It wasn't long before the mist cleared, and we stepped through the ornate doorway it revealed.

"Welcome, seekers of the Ultimate." A man greeted us from inside.

We were all wondering two things, one of which Ikuto-san addressed immediately.

" Why do you look like me plus fifty years?!"

The second of which Lucy-san addressed right afterwards.

"What's the Ultimate?"

What Ikuto-san said was true- this man's navy blue hair (though streaked with gray) tumbled over his face like Ikuto-san's, his purplish eyes carried shadows of Ikuto-san in their depths, and his tall figure was a mirror image of Ikuto-san, but with a slight stoop.

He chuckled, leading us farther inside. "The Ultimate is the power you are seeking. And by the way..." The man led us to a living room with one oddity-a giant crystal ball in the center. "My name is Kaito, Tsukiyomi Kaito."

We all gasped in unison at the sound of Ikuto's last name. Ikuto stopped dead, shock etched on every line of his face that was so similar to Tsukiyomi-san's.

"As for your first question, Ikuto...I am your grandfather."

Kaito, Aruto, Ikuto.

"My father...you...how?" Ikuto-san stammered. And from what Amu-chan had told me, Ikuto-san never stammered.

Tsukiyomi-san sat down, motioning for us to follow suit.

"The Tsukiyomi family was always destined to protect the Ultimate. For decades we have guarded it, but one man strayed from the path set out for us."

"My...father?"

The pieces of this puzzle were starting to come together.

"Aruto, my son, never knew that a curse falls on all those who cease to do the duty of the Tsukiyomi family. His life would always be troubled, and his family would never be able to live and laugh as one."

Ikuto-san stood up, rage burning in his eyes. "You!" he practically yelled. "You were the one who ruined my life!"

Tsukiyomi-san chuckled. "Now, now, that's a bit harsh. He did bring it on himself, you know."

Ikuto-san looked ready to scream, but Amu-chan yanked him back onto the couch.

"Behave." she ordered him like he was nine and not nineteen.

Tsukiyomi-san continued, oblivious to the whisperings and murmurings around him. "Aruto realized what was happening, and in a desperate attempt to halt the curse he did something unimaginable. Traveling back four hundred years, he stopped the black wizard Zeref from doing...well, doing what he just did. Creating the sickness."

So that was Zeref's fault.

"And he succeeded-at least back then." Lucy-san said quietly. "So why didn't you give Ikuto's father his peace?"

Tsukiyomi-san shook his head. "Until he returned here, the curse would always haunt him. But he hasn't returned, even now. And he was unfortunate enough to become victim of the sickness he himself stopped so long ago."

Erza-san, who had been the one to fight Ikuto's father, spoke up. "That's just unfair. You knew he was suffering and didn't bother to help?"

"Like I said, he would have to come back home before I would help him. But one man is no bother. As long as you stay here, Ikuto, Aruto will eventually die and all will be well in the Tsukiyomi family once more."

At this point Ikuto-san snapped. "You-you cruel, evil, heartless man! Who says I want to stay here?!" Ikuto-san was right. How could this man be his grandfather, and yet speak of such horrible things so casually?

Tsukiyomi-san smirked. "Your family is here, Ikuto."

As if on cue, a group of people led by two women and a man walked inside. The three leaders stepped forward. Gray-san, Erza-san, and Ikuto-san froze, as if they knew these people.

"Cyrulea?!"

"Kablan?"

"Silrouge!"

"These were the people," Gray-san explained, "who stole and gave back Erza's locket."

"Those people?!" I cried. "What are they doing here?"

"They're related to Ikuto?" Natsu-san asked, dumbfounded.

The redhead nodded, face blank. "Yes. I am the cousin you have never known, Ikuto." The poor girl looked sixteen at most, but she seemed so mature.

"I am your aunt." The other woman dressed in a flowing blue dress announced.

"Uncle." The man with black hair dipped his head.

Ikuto just sat there as countless others introduced themselves, speechless. After they had all greeted Ikuto, they left in the same orderly fashion.

"These people don't seem exactly happy." Carla observed from beside me. It was true-I guess these people, who had no freedom at all, could never be happy.

"Happy? Who? Me?" Happy questioned.

"So, Ikuto, you will stay, right?" Tsukiyomi-san finished.

"No." Ikuto-san replied straight-out. "I don't care if my family is here. At home, Utau needs me, Tadase needs me, my mother needs me."

"That Souko woman?" Tsukiyomi-san spat.

"Don't you dare call my mother 'that Souko woman'." Ikuto-san hissed.

The tension in the room was tangible.

Tsukiyomi-san looked Ikuto-san in the eyes. "The curse will befall you as well if you choose to leave, except maybe not as badly as it did to your father. Are you prepared to accept this?"

Something wavered in Ikuto-san's glare of stone, but he still stayed firm. "Yes. I will accept it. Now, if you could give us the Ultimate, then we will be off."

Tsukiyomi-san smiled knowingly. "You already have it."

My jaw dropped.

"You have developed strong, strong bonds in the course of this journey. When you opened those doors and shared that hug, the magic that we carry converted your feelings into the Ultimate. Look within yourself, and you will see that it is there. The obstacles you have overcome have helped you on this journey, and had you not come together, several of you would be dead by now. You would not have received the Ultimate as well."

"What magic?"

"The members of the Tsukiyomi family all carry immense power. Sometimes it is latent, like in you, Ikuto. But even if you choose to leave, I am sure you will discover your true potential." Tsukiyomi-san stood. "Now, Ikuto, I will now show you something that might help you save your own future. You may not speak of what you saw directly to anybody, or else the curse will come down on you extremely hard."

Ikuto-san followed Tsukiyomi-san to the giant crystal ball, which seemed to hold misty figures conversing faintly inside.

"Welcome to our Vision Sphere." Tsukiyomi-san gave Ikuto-san a gentle push, and he tumbled inside the crystal ball.

Since when could people travel through glass?

We watched intently, but we could not see or hear anything. I was at a loss to what Ikuto-san was seeing in there, and how it would help him.

It wasn't long, ten minutes at most, before Ikuto-san staggered out of the Vision Sphere. "Is this all really going to happen?" he asked his grandfather, voice shaking.

"Not if you can help it. Save others, and save yourself." Tsukiyomi-san winked, and then he was gone.

The room was gone. We were standing on the Mount Snowdrop's summit, but everyone was still together.

"Where...?" Lucy-san trailed off.

"This is the Earthland mountain-Mount Snowdrop." Amu-chan explained. A frosty wind bit at my skin, and I shuddered as I relived the hunger and cold we had endured atop this mountain.

"We're going to have to hurry, or else we'll freeze to death." Erza-san began walking down the narrow mountain path.

"Freeze? Why would we freeze?" Gray-san asked, clueless. We all burst out laughing, but I couldn't help but notice that Ikuto-san's chuckle seemed to be forced.

What had he seen in that Vision Sphere?

Ikuto's P.O.V (Two days later)

I breathed in the warm-or, at least warmer than it had been-mountain air, trying to put my anxiety at the back of my mind.

We were about halfway down the mountain now, good timing for a group of of people exhausted and with no magic power left. Stopping only to eat and sleep, we continued tirelessly down the crooked path towards home.

I had begun to accept my heritage, and the curse, but I was still apprehensive as to what was ahead.

My grandfather had been right, I could feel the Ultimate burning within me. If only it could stop the tragedies that were now my responsibility to prevent, but it's only purpose was to cure the sickness.

"Hey, Ikuto, is something wrong? You've barely spoken since we left that mountain." Amu fell into step with me at the back of the group.

"Nothing really."

"How many times to we have to go through this? No secrets!" Really, I think it would be more appropriate if our ages were switched.

"I can't tell you anyway."

"Ohhhh..." Amu replied knowingly. I ruffled her already tangled hair, and she promptly scolded me.

It was nice, talking to someone I actually knew. I'm kind of an antisocial person, so it was really hard to make friends with Erza and Gray. In the end, I did it, but it was always more comfortable with someone you've known for years.

I shuddered to think of what would happen if I failed.

"Look at that." Gray pointed at the sheer drop below us, and my heart nearly stopped. I'm not afraid of heights-I spend half my time in a tree-but there was no hope...if it really did happen...

Resolving to keep alert for that specific object, I continued.

Amu's pink head bobbed in front of me as the path narrowed until we walked in a single-file line.

"You know, Ikuto, Wendy, Carla, and I were able to fly past this part, but now, since none of us have, like, any magic power, I mean, even the wizards are exhausted..." Amu twisted her head to look at me.

And then I saw it.

A little gray pebble that meant life or death.

I stepped neatly over the rock.

I heaved a sigh of relief, and it felt like the whole world had been lifted off my shoulders.

I was safe.

We were safe.

"Hey, Ikuto! Did you hear me?"

"Wha? Uh, yeah..."

I let myself relax, convincing myself that it was okay now. The tension slowly evaporated from my body, and I began to laugh and talk with the others.

We began to walk along the smallest path I had ever set foot on. If I fell now, Yoru would not be able to Chara Change, let alone Transform.

Erza.

Natsu.

Lucy.

Gray.

Wendy.

All safe.

Amu began, and I think she knew what was going to happen before I did.

The worn rock crumbled beneath her feet.

I lunged towards her, and our fingertips just brushed before she plummeted into the darkness below.

I sank to my knees, heart pounding in my chest. I stared into the canyon where Amu was, her last scream of terror haunting my mind. I couldn't bear to think of her, just lying there...

I had avoided the rock, so why had it still happened?

Why me?

_Flashback to what Ikuto saw in the Vision Sphere_

_I didn't see the little stone._

_My foot caught on the pebble, sending me crashing into Amu. She screamed, tumbling over the edge of the cliff._

_No!_

_Her Shugo Chara swooped after her, trying to catch her but in vain._

_It was a swarm of voices yelling for her, Happy and Carla out to search, people surrounding me, trying to comfort me._

_Only one thing echoed in my head._

_My fault._

_I had saved her so many times. I had caught her when she fell off the aquarium roof, when she had tumbled over the edge of countless walls, when she had plummeted from fifty feet up._

_And just this once, when it really mattered, I had been the one to send her falling._

_My fault!_

_I didn't care about anything except..._

_Was it possible that she lived?_

_Was she still there, to call my name?_

_I would never be able to forgive myself if something had happened to her._

_I had resolved to protect her, but she had still fallen._

_Because of me._

_Was I doomed to have all those I cared for taken from me?_

_Two figures rose from the gloom. Happy and Carla had returned, carrying something limp and battered._

_An anguished cry escaped my lips-_

_My life was as good as over. _

_I had always been cursed to end the life of Amu Hinamori._

_They set her down before me..._

_Why me?_

_Cold as stone, lifeless as a doll._

_Flashback end_

"AMU!"

* * *

**Sky: ...I'm sorry, Emily-at-random. And everybody else reading this.**


	18. Broken Heart

**Chapter 18**

** Last time, the group reunited and received the power, called the Ultimate, from the sage who turned out to be Ikuto's grandfather. Ikuto's family is revealed to be guardians of the Ultimate, and Amu falls off a cliff.**

**Sky: "And Amu falls off a cliff." Sigh...I make it sound so simple in the summary. Anyway, sorry about last chapter. And sorry about this chapter too. Ikuto is a bit OOC in this chapter, but if you lost your best friend wouldn't you be a bit more emotional than normal? **

* * *

Erza's P.O.V

For a second, I could do nothing but stare at the hole in the ground where Amu had fallen.

Then, the sensible part of my brain took over.

"Happy, Carla, go into the canyon at once to search for Amu. Lucy, use River of Stars to swing down and if you have any magic, call out a Spirit to help search. Gray, patch up the hole with ice-and make sure it's sturdy-so that Ikuto can cross over. Ikuto, get ready to-Ikuto?"

Ikuto was on his knees, frozen, gazing down into the darkness where Amu was. He seemed oblivious to the people around him, not even glancing up when I called his name.

Gray had completed the bridge, and I cautiously stepped over. I gave Ikuto an experimental poke on the shoulder.

No response.

Ikuto was in shock.

I grabbed his wrist and pulled him up, leading him safely over the ice bridge. Ikuto moved as if he was sleepwalking, eyes glazed, movements dull.

"Wendy!" I called, pushing Ikuto none too gently onto a nearby rock. "Take care of Ikuto, I'm going down to search."

It was easier to hide all my emotions and act as the leader, because how were we going to get anywhere otherwise? It didn't matter that I wanted to weep and wail at the loss of Amu. I was Erza Scarlet, and I was an expert at shielding my heart with armor.

I requipped into my Flight Armor and soared into the canyon.

There were so many shadows that I could barely see anything. I heard the distant sound of a rushing stream, and occaisonally a birdcall rung through the air.

"Flame Empress Armor." I whispered, requipping once more and lighting my sword with fire. Squinting through the red-hot light, I could make out Lucy, Happy, and Carla, all searching.

Lucy approached me, voice still unsteady. "E-Erza, there you are. I th-thought you'd used up all your p-power with the Adamantine Armor and the r-rockfall before."

"I can always pull something together in a crisis."

"Oh. O-Okay then..."

It was clear they were all exhausted, terrified, and nearly out of hope. It had been my responsibility to get them all back home safely. But in that, I had already failed.

The hours slid by, and the sun slid downward. Gray joined us with a rope of ice, reporting that Wendy was still with Ikuto. It made us all shudder to even think of being in Ikuto's position right now, shocked and without Amu.

Because Amu was...

No.

I can't say it.

Darkness eventually fell, and we were forced back up with no Amu. We resolved to keep looking tomorrow, with confidence that was comepletely fake.

"There's some shelter here." Gray mumbled almost inaudibly. Without another word, we lay down on the hard stone.

None of us would be sleeping tonight.

* * *

"It's no use."

It was around noon, and we still had nothing. Remorse and guilt were slowly suffocating me, and now the last trace of hope I had left evaporated.

Why hadn't I deemed that ground unsafe, found some other route, scrounged up some magic power to fly everyone across?

"C'mon." Lucy took out River of Stars, and slowly we ascended the cliff.

Ikuto and Wendy had come to look with us today, but Ikuto still hadn't said a word. Wendy claimed 'shock is an ailment that only time can heal' and so he continued to look defeated, dull. And Yoru had returned to his egg ,which could only spell trouble.

The sadness was more depressing than the drizzle that soaked us on our way down, or the gloomy silence that hung over us as we trudged along the steadily widening path.

Slowly, I drifted from the head of the group to the very end, where Ikuto trailed along.

"Ikuto."

He looked up, and his eyes, those eyes that said that he'd already given up, nearly broke my heart.

Why was the world so cruel to this one person? If luck was distributed equally among everyone, then maybe our lives wouldn't be so painful, and maybe those people with perfect lives would experience pain for once.

Just looking at Ikuto made me feel so...so bad for him.

"Don't." Ikuto muttered, just one word, but it was as if he'd read my mind.

"What...?"

"Don't pity me."

How had he known?

I sighed, wondering how to get through to him. The only one who had been able to break the wall he had built around himself was Amu, and Amu...Amu fell.

"It's weird. I'm not feeling anything. I...I know I was in shock before, but now...it's like all my emotions were killed along...along with A-Amu." His voice cracked on the last word, and I wondered just how I was supposed to not pity the poor guy.

"I know. You're expecting pain, but instead it's just...dull." Lucy had joined us, face darkened by what I knew was one of her most painful memories.

"My father died when I was trapped in time."

Ikuto's eyes widened momentarily, then he murmured, "Oh. I'm sorry."

Lucy smiled sadly. "No, don't say that. And I'm not going to put lies in your head-I'm not going to say it gets better soon. Because it took a long time for me, and I...I hated my father. Or I thought I did."

"I guess we're alike in more ways than one."

I remembered Rob and how he sacrificed himself for me in the Tower of Heaven. I had none of this 'dullness', I had been filled with rage and terror.

That moment had also been the moment my magic was born.

How could such beautiful magic come from such terrible feelings? Magic was twisted, our lives were twisted. After everything that had happened, I had lost faith in the light at the end of the tunnel. It could only be another plunge into darkness.

"Erza?" Lucy poked me. "Are you okay?"

"Fine."

Ikuto had trailed behind again, and I motioned to Lucy to go up ahead. Gray and Natsu weren't fighting for once, but who knew?

Besides, I wanted to deal with Ikuto alone.

"Hey, you're always welcome to, you know, stay with us. At Fairy Tail." I offered.

Ikuto shook his head. "Utau, my mother...there are still people who need me at home."

But what he never said was that he needed Amu, too.

"Utau's a singer, right?" I asked, in an attempt to cheer him up somewhat. Of course, it would never work, but still.

"Yeah. She's really good." Ikuto's finger traced the strap of his violin case, still slung on his shoulder. And then, randomly, he started humming.

Ikuto, a teenage boy who barely said anything and who had just lost his best friend. Humming.

I stared at him.

Ikuto stopped, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, it's just, one of her songs. Utau's. She never said so, but I could always tell it was for me, but now...it will always be Amu's song."

I nodded my head, and Ikuto sung in a low voice for my ears alone.

"On an empty stage, a curtain begins to fall on the time for dreaming.

Noticing you aren't coming again tomorrow, just like yesterday,

The final scene is always painful and beautiful.

But I'll wipe my tears and knock on the door.

Give birth to a new me, have courage, don't be embarrassed.

My heartful song, my heartful song,

I'll sing forever, and wish for it to reach you.

Like awakening to the kindness of distant memories,

I'll become true to myself.

My heartful song, my heartful song,

I'll sing forever, and wish for it to reach you."

The poignant words tugged hard at my heart, and every line reminded me of Amu. Every word sparked memories of her innocent face, slowly morphing into one of terror as she experienced horrors like never before.

If we hadn't dragged her along to save the world, maybe she would still be alive.

"Amu...we'll always wish for this song, and our feelings, to reach you." I whispered, raising my head to the heavens.

Suddenly, Ikuto's bottom lip quivered like he was a little boy.

And then he burst out crying.

Ahead of us, Wendy turned, concerned, but I motioned her to keep going. Too many people would keep Ikuto locked inside his cage of loss.

"Ikuto, Ik-u-to." I consoled him, helping him take the pain that had finally come. I sat down with him and let him sob.

Five minutes, ten minutes. The rest of the group were waiting, far ahead, as I whispered in Ikuto's ears of Amu, and how sweet and kind and beautiful she had been. How she had always wanted to help people, and how perceptive she was, and how she would always watch over him.

Always.

I found tears in my own eyes.

Slowly, the crying ceased and we sat in silence.

"Let's go, Erza. All the others will be waiting." Ikuto stood, trying to keep his voice strong, trying to keep himself from breaking down.

"Yeah."

Ikuto never spoke a word after that.

He kept his head down, his eyes on the ground, his face emotionless. But I could see the turmoil that raged behind his mask. We were sure to never leave him alone, make him feel welcome among us.

But really, could one person in a crowd of seven who had known each other for so long really fit in?

Dark, depressing thoughts.

Mountain summit growing farther, fresh green ground nearer.

Magic slowly recovering, hopes ever draining.

Days of silence, nights of tears.

Magnolia, our beautiful city, darkened by the sickness that must have spread in our absence, standing in the distance.

We could save Magnolia.

We could save the world, the universe even.

But was the price we had already paid really worth it?

The endless black night coated us for the fourth time since Amu fell off that accursed cliff. Thoughts of Amu haunted my dreams, and I woke up in the middle of the night with her final scream still echoing in my mind.

_"AAAH!"_

I sat up, shaking and covered in cold sweat. Everyone else still slept, except one shadow of a figure sitting a bit away, silhouetted against the full moon.

I could hear music, floating towards me from the violin on his shoulder. The notes were soft, the rhythym gentle, the tune carrying sorrow that could never be expressed by actions or words.

Ikuto.

I crept over to him, sitting by his side as the music flowed from his violin.

And the grief flowed from his heart.

Time stopped and music reigned, just as it had on the night when we first found him, Juvia and I, playing the violin. This time, though, he knew I was there and yet kept playing.

After all this time, after everything we'd been through together...Ikuto finally trusted me.

The music slowed, and eventually stopped. We sat together, looking up at the great silver moon and the bright twinkling stars.

"Why does beauty exist in this cruel universe that we live in?" I didn't expect a response, not from Ikuto. He wasn't mute, as in he couldn't talk, but he just...refused to.

After he broke down sobbing two days ago, he didn't speak once. Maybe because he feared that words would chip away at the mask he had created to cover his sadness.

"Why don't you talk to us, to me, anymore, Ikuto? Why are you going to bear that pain all by yourself?"

Ikuto stared at me in wonder. I guess no one apart from Amu, maybe not even Utau, had stopped to think of why he was so quiet.

"Erza..."

"Go on."

"She left, Erza. She left me all alone. Why does it always end like this?" he cried out to the moon overhead.

"Amu left me, just like everybody else. Everyone I care for will be taken from me in the end. I will always hurt them, I will never bring happiness to anyone. 'The black cat of misfortune.' Is that my true self?"

I watched in wonder and fear as Ikuto stood, shouting to the dark sky,

"Amu, is this my true self?! Tell me, Amu! Is this the Ikuto you said I wouldn't accept? Is this who I am? Will I always be chained to this cruel destiny? Answer me! Amu!"

Yoru's egg rose out of Ikuto's pocket, original design now dimmed and cloaked with an X.

It was now an X egg.

Amu's P.O.V (At the time when she fell)

Where there was supposed to be solid ground, there was only air.

I made a desperate snatch at Ikuto's hand but it was no use. He only seemed to be getting farther away.

Then I realized I was plummeting off a cliff.

"AAAH!"

I knew it would hurt, but not this much. It felt like my entire body was suffocated, squeezed to death. Every breath was crushed out of me until my lungs were bursting. Black spots danced in front of my eyes until everything went black.

* * *

"Oh, it's a kid."

"She's older than me, but still pretty young."

"I always feel bad for these ones. They bawl like anything."

"I was one of them! And I didn't bawl!"

"How should I know? You were here decades before me!"

Voices that sounded strange, like they were in a different language that I could somehow understand, woke me. I opened my eyes, vision slowly adjusting to the dimly lit room.

I was sprawled on the floor in a position that made me glad I wasn't wearing a skirt. A woman who looked somewhere in her twenties or thirties and a boy not much older than seven were bending over me.

"Who...? What? Why? What happened? Where's Ikuto? And Lucy? Everyone?" I stood up, glancing around for any sign of my friends.

The room was fairly small, and looked kind of like a waiting room, or a lobby. The room was painted a soft shade of gold, and a fluffy brown rug tickled my was a desk, presumably for the two people who had woken me up, and several plush chairs.

As the kid directed me to a chair right in front of the desk, an old man fell out of the ceiling.

My mouth fell open.

"Please wait for one minute over there, sir. And don't ask questions 'till it's your turn." the woman recited, as if ninety-year-old men fell out of her ceiling every day.

"Now..." The kid sat on the desk, drumming a pencil against the smooth wooden surface. "I'm Aurelius, but Aure is fine. I'm the manager here."

"Here? Where? And what kind of a name is _Aurelius_?"

Aure sighed, and I immediately felt bad about the name thing. "Wish I could change my name. Gets old explaining the whole Roman thing over and over."

"R-Roman? You're from Rome?" I stammered.

Why was I in Italy? And I was so close to getting home too!

"So you're from Earth, too. I'm not modern-day Roman. I lived in the time of the Roman Empire."

"Lived...?"

Aure looked down. "That's right. This is the World of the Dead."

My mouth went dry. "No...no, why?" My heart broke just thinking of how Ikuto and the rest would grieve.

Wait.

My heart was already broken.

Because I was DEAD!

I whimpered, and tears formed at the corners of my eyes. I wanted to live! I had so much left to live for! So many dreams that would never be fulfilled...

"Don't cry! It gets on my nerves!" Aure snapped.

"Are you sure snapping at your costumers is a good idea, kid?" I could have made a spicier comeback, but the fact that I was dead kind of put a damper on my attitude.

Attitude.

Wishes.

Eggs.

Shugo Chara...

"Where are my Shugo Chara?!"

Aure shrugged. "So you're one of those big-dream kids. The fairy things disappear when you die."

First my friends, and now my Shugo Chara? Was I going to lose everything?

"Anyway, enough delay." Aure continued. How exactly was this kid so businesslike, anyway?

"Name?"

"Amu Hinamori..."

The desk-woman, who's nametag read 'Mirsola' (apparently not from Earth) typed something, presumably my name, into the computer. She gave a small gasp, but Aure paid no heed.

"Age?"

"Fourteen."

"How did you die?"

"Fell off a cliff."

Aure chuckled. "What are you, some kind of prodigy mountain climber?"

"I was saving the universe, if you had to know."

"Stop joking around. I get paid to do this."

"She's not kidding." Mirsola called from behind the desk. "She was one of the Seekers of the Ultimate."

Aure scoffed. "Not possible. She'd have to be more careful about dying, then. You can't activate that thing without all the Seekers."

"Add that to the list of Upsetting Things I Never Knew Until I Died." I said, though inside I was a nervous wreck.

I was dead.

Without me, the others couldn't activate the Ultimate.

"THE UNIVERSE IS DOOMED!" I wailed.

"You got that right." Aure groaned.

"Aure, look at this." Mirsola whispered, gesturingly frantically over to the computer.

"What? You know I hate electroni-oh, Lord Caesar!"

It was the most refined OMG I had ever head.

"Look at that...at her future..."

Future? What future? I was dead.

Dead, dead, dead.

No friends, no Shugo Chara, living in eternity with a population primarily of old people.

"If she's dead, then..."

"We'll be working overtime."

I took that to mean 'Everyone will die.'.

"And look at that! Her death..."

"...Shouldn't have happened."

They began whispering furiously to one another, and I caught phrases like 'once in a millennium', 'Is it worth it?' and repeatedly, I heard 'save the world'.

"Miss Hinamori." Mirsola gazed at me over the top of her computer. "We are pleased to inform that you did not die because you fell off a cliff."

"But I fell! I'm positive of it!"

Mirsola entered something into the computer. "You would have fallen in a river, and when your friends came to search for you they would find you alive. According to my computer, your friend Wendy would have then healed you. You would have successfully activated the Ultimate and you would have returned home unharmed except for an overwhelming phobia of water and heights."

I stared at the miraculous device that predicted my future, trying to process this mind-blowing information.

"But...then why am I dead?"

Aure peered at the computer for a moment, then turned back to me. "Let's start from the beginning. Your close friend Ikuto Tsukiyomi has seen in the Vision Sphere, right?"

"Y-yes...but what does that have to do with...?"

"Well, he saw what would become of his life if he didn't change the order of events. He would have stumbled, bumped into you from behind, and sent you flying off the cliff. However, he avoided the rock that would have made him stumble and so you were saved-for the moment. You fell later on, though, and would have been saved if not for the portal." Aure finished.

"P-portal...?"

Mirsola took over, never looking up from her computer. "Originally located in the Forbidden, where your companions Natsu, Lucy, and Happy journeyed, the portal transported itself to Earthland, where you were killed. It was located in the exact spot that you fell, and instead of landing in the river you were transported to the Nothingness."

Aure swung his little legs nervously. "That place is what it sounds like. Nothing. Anyone who enters will be killed instantly. The portal being in the place that you fell, the setting being at the Nothingness, it was all a big coincidence. Your death was a fluke."

Great. I have got to have the worst luck ever.

"So what, though? Now, I'm dead, so what does it matter?" I trailed off, looking down at Aure's sandals.

"There is something that we reserve...for very special people. People who change the world for the better." Mirsola began.

"Like you, Miss Hinamori." Aure jumped down from the desk, grabbing an envelope from Mirsola and handing it to me. "Here are all the details. Read it all-if you accept our offer you will pay a price."

Even as I ripped it open, Aure shoved me into a chair and Mirsola called, "Next!"

Aure sighed. When they had been talking to me, they had seemed almost...interested. As if my future had been something that would help even then, stuck on desk duty for life.

I wondered how often Aure played Roman hide-and-seek with other little boys that said OMG like he did.

* * *

Inside my envelope was a fat packet entitled "Undead: The Best Second Chance You'll Ever Get."

"Undead?!" They were making me into a zombie?

I flipped open to the first page.

_Once dead, humans will become citizens of the World of the Dead. There they will live in peace and happiness for eternity, unless they are deemed unworthy by the Entrance Guards and sent to the World of the Punished._

_However, a rare occurence happens when an innocent individual dies by coincidence. This person will also have a future that greatly impacts not just their world, but other worlds. If the impacts are great enough that the lives of whole worlds reside on their shoulders, the Entrance Guards will then hold a trial. If the chosen is deemed worthy, they will be given a second chance at life._

Aure and Mirsola must be the Entrance Guards. And they were going to bring me back to life!

Hope burning like th Ultimate within me, I read on eagerly.

_So far, no one has passed this trial before. The stakes are high and the price is great. If you are reading this letter, you have been chosen to participate in the trial. Please carefully read the following pages, which all contain essential information on your trial and the outcome._

Breathless, I turned the page.

_In three days precisely, the trial will begin. You will be questioned extensively on several aspects of your life. You must answer truthfully, or else you will be sent immediately to the World of the Punished. There is no escaping our methods of determining truthfulness._

_The trial will last one full day. The verdict may not be argued with, and if done so the offender will go to the World of the Punished. Should you fail the trial, you will live in the World of the Dead as any other normal ghost._

So they were ghosts. Funny thing they weren't transparent.

_Should you, by some chance, pass the trial, preparations will begin immediately. The morning after the trial you will travel back to a location chosen by you, and you will be there within the minute as a living, breathing human._

If my heart was beating, it would have sped up. I could only think of Ikuto's face when he saw me as I read on.

_There is one price you must pay for returning alive, and it is a heavy one. Those who are Undead will be almost surely be stripped of his or her memories, except for the memory of what they need to do to save the world._

I stopped abruptly, staring at the word 'memories'.

If my memories were taken, then...I would forget all my friends. I would forget the amazing adventure I had just went through. I would forget everything.

Mama.

Papa.

Ami.

Tadase-kun.

Rima.

Nagi.

Yaya.

Kukai.

Kairi.

Utau.

Ikuto.

Wendy.

Natsu.

Lucy.

Erza.

Gray.

Happy.

Carla.

They would all disappear from my lives, forever.

* * *

"We shall now begin the trial of Amu Hinamori, who has been selected as a candidate for Undead." The judge, a tall man with glasses, was seated at the front with Aure and Mirsola. They were surrounded by people of all kinds, who were probably all from different worlds-a jury of sorts.

"Now, Miss Hinamori, what would be the reason that you are a canidate?" the judge questioned.

"I am a Seeker of the Ultimate." I spoke, voice strong but trembling inside.

Whispers of shock raced throughout the crowd like sparrows.

Papa would always call me 'My Little Sparrow.' I set my mouth in a firm line. I had to get home, even if I lost my memories.

"How did you die?"

"I fell into a portal and was killed in the world known as the Nothingness."

Full-fledged gasps and cries of shock ran through the crowd.

The judge cleared his throat. "This is shaping up to be the most curious trial I have ever encountered."

The day wore on, as I told in full detail of Shugo Chara, X eggs, Easter, and the quest for the Ultimate. Hoping, so desperately, though the chances were slim...

"Miss Hinamori, have you saved lives before?" It was clear that this was a crucial question.

Who had I saved...?

That's right. How could I forget that?

"I saved the life of Ikuto Tsukiyomi. He was being held captive by the organization I have told you of, Eater, and I freed him, with the help of my f-friends." my voice broke, as I thought of all my friends, who knew nothing about my death, and Ikuto...who would be...

How could he live without me?

How could he survive another loss?

"I see." The judge flipped through Mirsola's carefully printed files. "This Ikuto Tsukiyomi is also a seeker, I see.

His current status is-"

Mirsola whispered something into his ear.

"-something you will find out if we let you back."

"Judge-san, uh, I mean Mr. Judge?" I hastily corrected my Japanese (which all these people could somehow understand). "The packet I was given said that if I went back my memories will almost surely be taken. Why 'almost'?" I asked tentatively, playing wih the collar of my shirt to hide my nervousness.

"First of all, you will remember things like reading and writing, it is only your true memories that will be taken. Second, no one has been sent back yet, so we are not absolutely sure. And finally...if you see someone that holds countless memories for you right after you return, there is a chance that your memories may come back."

Hope sprang to life once more. There was still a chance that I would come back safe.

"Would Ikuto...?"

The judge frowned. "How long have you known him?"

"Since I was in fifth grade, so nearly three years."

"Hmm...that's not long..."

"We have shared lots of memories, though." I pleaded, more for my sake than for anyone else's.

"I don't know." the judge said, frowning. "It's a risky business, becoming Undead. You're just a kid. It's possible that you don't even hold the Ultimate, and-"

"Please! I hold it, I swear! How can I not be lying? I would be in the World of The Punished right now if I was!"

The judge scratched his head sheepishly. "That's just a bluff, little girl."

I stood, unaware of the golden light that surrounded me until my eyes were hit by a blinding light.

"I'm needed, I'm a Seeker! I need my home, my family, my friends back!" The light erupted into a shower of sparks that settled into a tiny sphere. It floated down, down, until it hovered above my palm.

"This is a part of the Ultimate." I held the sphere high, illuminating the judge's awestruck face. I lowered it back into my chest and sank into the chair, exhausted.

The judge and jury discussed.

They whispered.

They pointed.

They whispered some more.

And then, a voice erupted in my head. It was as crystal clear as Lucy summoning me that first fateful day, but it was Ikuto's voice.

_"Amu, is this my true self?! Tell me, Amu! Is this the Ikuto you said I wouldn't accept? Is this who I am? Will I always be chained to this cruel destiny? Answer me! Amu!"_

Filled with despair.

"Amu Hinamori, you have marked history today among the dead. You have been selected to become Undead. Where is your selected location?"

"F-Fairy Tail, Magnolia, Fiore, Earthland."

I was in a daze as I was led to a black capsule and placed gently inside. I barely saw Aure give me a wink and a thumbs-up before the capsule shut, and the world spun round and round.

I couldn't hear anything but Ikuto's voice, couldn't see anything but Ikuto's face, and I prayed for my memories...

* * *

I was sprawled on the floor of some place I'd never seen before. It was huge, and a sign reading 'Fairy Tail' was hung over the door.

People were cheering and congratulating me, surrounding me and calling me something that seemed faintly familiar, like a distant memory I had long forgotten. But...

"Who am I?"

* * *

**Sky: In ancient Roman times, a thumbs-up was used when people wanted to spare a defeated gladiator. Whoever wanted the gladiator to live would show a thumbs-up. So essentially, it means "He/she lives." Get it? Aure, who's ancient Roman, showed Amu a thumbs-up when she was chosen to become Undead, so "she lives."**

**Sorry for the nerd joke. I'm weird about Latin. Can any of my nonexistent readers guess how Cyrulea's name is Latin? (Not you, Emily-at-random. I already told you.)**


End file.
